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The Numerical Basis of Roman Camps
Author(s) -
Richardson Alan
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
oxford journal of archaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1468-0092
pISSN - 0262-5253
DOI - 10.1111/1468-0092.00119
Subject(s) - acre , unit (ring theory) , archaeology , geology , geography , mathematics , environmental science , agricultural science , mathematics education
Roman camps are based on rectangles with sides in whole number ratios and their areas are proportional to the size of the force encamped. The data given by Polybius and Hyginus suggests the area was surveyed in actus and indicates that it was calculated by simply adding up the space required by each unit from a standard allocation and then increasing that sum by a certain factor to allow for roads and other quarters. This gave the area within the intervallum , which was then added to define the inner face of the rampart. The paradigm can be simplified to the rule that two actus quadrati were allowed per cohort, with a turma counting as 1/8th cohort. The intervallum width was 1/8th the sq. root of the area it enclosed. Permanent forts also seem to have been laid out with the actus of the unit of measurement. The paradigm enabled use of a computer spreadsheet to investigate the possible composition of the forces associated with particular camps. This suggested that in the Mons Graupius campaign Agricola had two legions and built the 63‐acre camps in NE Scotland.