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+--- Thread: Distances and distance measuring in the Roman Army? (/showthread.php?tid=31767)
Distances and distance measuring in the Roman Army? - dcbrown - 01-26-2024
I'm looking for insights from this group regarding possible applications of distance measurements in the Roman Army. Were there any unusual systems of measurement in use in either camp or battlefield?
If investgating a type of artifact that is suspected of having a military application shows that they were quick distance estimating devices that provided readings in either:
5 pedes units up to 120 pedes,
10 pedes units up to 240 pedes
6 pedes units up to 150 pedes
12 pedes units up to 300 pedes
....would that support a military application, or contradict it?
5 and 10 pedes seems generally useful and requires no further explanation.
But 6 pedes was a surprise to me. Maybe there is a special military application?
Any insights on this subject would be appreciated.
RE: Distances and distance measuring in the Roman Army? - Arius - 03-22-2024
Hyginus in "de munitionibus castrorum" mentions dimensions when pitching camps that are in multiples of 6 pedes. That's all I got, sorry.
Harry
RE: Distances and distance measuring in the Roman Army? - dcbrown - 04-03-2024
(03-22-2024, 10:59 PM)Arius Wrote: Hyginus in "de munitionibus castrorum" mentions dimensions when pitching camps that are in multiples of 6 pedes. That's all I got, sorry.
Harry
That helps quite a bit. Vegetius gives spacings for men in formation in 3 pedes increments also. So with the Hyginus suggestion on top of that it would seem that an instrument configured to measure in multiples of 3 would have plenty of military applications. I'll have to track down a copy.