02-07-2008, 04:50 PM
There seems to be a heap of info about "centuriation" on the Web.
Unfortunately most tend to use the English versions of the Latin words..
I still can't tfind the reference I have (had??) . But, as I read more on the Web I am fairly certain the use of the word "centuria" to descibe a company of soldiers derives from the land division ....
Still not completely sure if its an allotment of men from a "centuriation". It might be simply the the dividing up of the army was like the division of land... maybe a concept all those rural farm boy conscripts could understand?
This bit of info is a bit more useful... and note how the word centuria is used..
from : www.humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/h ... eletto.pdf
Cultural Landscape: Trace Yesterday, Presence Today,
Perspective Tomorrow For Roman Centuriation in Rural
Venetian Territory
Gian Umberto Caravello
Piero Michieletto
<snip>
Essential Historical Features of the Venetian Plains
The agricultural landscape that characterizes most of the
Venetian plains, from the Po river to the foothills of the Alps,
from the Mincio river to the Isonzo, still has an orderly layout,
with a regular division of cultivated ager centuriatus
fields, country roads, drainage ditches and long stretches of
vineyards and orchards.
It is impossible to understand the overall layout of the
current agricultural landscape without clear idea of the extensive
work done in this area during Roman times. This work,
known as centuriation, consisted of dividing the land along
two main axes, nearly always based on important roads or
watercourses, which crossed each other at right angles. The
geometrical regularity of the grid was secured by dividing
lines, or limites, named according to their orientation:
the Cardo Maximus, oriented mainly N-S, and the
Decumanus Maximus, which ran in an E-W direction. The
various centuria obtained from this initial division were
defined by a network of secondary cardines and decumans
that created a grid of square plots with sides measuring 20
actus (2.52 ha). Each of the centuria could be further divided
by Тlimites intercisiviУ and even inner interlimites.
These divisions were used to establish boundaries between
the sortes, i.e., plots of land that were allotted to colonists
who farmed them using advanced agricultural methods. All
such surveying operations were called ТlimitatioУ and the
result a centuriatio.
Unfortunately most tend to use the English versions of the Latin words..
I still can't tfind the reference I have (had??) . But, as I read more on the Web I am fairly certain the use of the word "centuria" to descibe a company of soldiers derives from the land division ....
Still not completely sure if its an allotment of men from a "centuriation". It might be simply the the dividing up of the army was like the division of land... maybe a concept all those rural farm boy conscripts could understand?
This bit of info is a bit more useful... and note how the word centuria is used..
from : www.humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/h ... eletto.pdf
Cultural Landscape: Trace Yesterday, Presence Today,
Perspective Tomorrow For Roman Centuriation in Rural
Venetian Territory
Gian Umberto Caravello
Piero Michieletto
<snip>
Essential Historical Features of the Venetian Plains
The agricultural landscape that characterizes most of the
Venetian plains, from the Po river to the foothills of the Alps,
from the Mincio river to the Isonzo, still has an orderly layout,
with a regular division of cultivated ager centuriatus
fields, country roads, drainage ditches and long stretches of
vineyards and orchards.
It is impossible to understand the overall layout of the
current agricultural landscape without clear idea of the extensive
work done in this area during Roman times. This work,
known as centuriation, consisted of dividing the land along
two main axes, nearly always based on important roads or
watercourses, which crossed each other at right angles. The
geometrical regularity of the grid was secured by dividing
lines, or limites, named according to their orientation:
the Cardo Maximus, oriented mainly N-S, and the
Decumanus Maximus, which ran in an E-W direction. The
various centuria obtained from this initial division were
defined by a network of secondary cardines and decumans
that created a grid of square plots with sides measuring 20
actus (2.52 ha). Each of the centuria could be further divided
by Тlimites intercisiviУ and even inner interlimites.
These divisions were used to establish boundaries between
the sortes, i.e., plots of land that were allotted to colonists
who farmed them using advanced agricultural methods. All
such surveying operations were called ТlimitatioУ and the
result a centuriatio.
Hibernicus
LEGIO IX HISPANA, USA
You cannot dig ditches in a toga!
[url:194jujcw]http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org[/url]
A nationwide club with chapters across N America
LEGIO IX HISPANA, USA
You cannot dig ditches in a toga!
[url:194jujcw]http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org[/url]
A nationwide club with chapters across N America
