Raising the alarm in the Roman camp

[M. Caecilius]

Does anyone know what the sentries would do, if they discovered an enemy approach and had to raise the alarm?

Shouting seems natural, but is it loud enough to wake a sleeping camp in time? Especially in the case of outposts. I believe Dio mentions a case where a city-watch uses bells to summon the populace to help, and Trimalchio's trumpet concert is mistaken by the Vigiles for a fire-alarm, and the blares of a few cornu could rouse the camp, but you'd have to get to the guy with the instrument. I also know that one of the world's oldest music appears on a Greek vase and is a trumpet call to arms (would have to check the source, though), but what did the sentinels out in front of the Roman camp do? Did they have bells? Horns? Or simply very good lungs?

[jkaler48]

C. Julius Caesar Gallic War book 2, chapter 20

Caesar had every thing to do at one time: the standard to be displayed, which was the sign when it was necessary to run to arms; the signal to be given by the trumpet; the soldiers to be called off from the works; those who had proceeded some distance for the purpose of seeking materials for the rampart, to be summoned; the order of battle to be formed; the soldiers to be encouraged; the watchword to be given.

[jkaler48]

Flavius Josephus The Wars of the Jews book 3, section 85

Their times also for sleeping, and watching, and rising are notified beforehand by the sound of trumpets, nor is any thing done without such a signal; and in the morning the soldiery go every one to their centurions, and these centurions to their tribunes, to salute them; with whom all the superior officers go to the general of the whole army, who then gives them of course the watchword and other orders, to be by them cared to all that are under their command; which is also observed when they go to fight, and thereby they turn themselves about on the sudden, when there is occasion for making sallies, as they come back when they are recalled in crowds also.

Vegitius DE RE MILITARI

LEGIONARY MUSIC

The music of the legion consists of trumpets, cornets and buccinae. The trumpet sounds the charge and the retreat. The cornets are used only to regulate the motions of the colors; the trumpets serve when the soldiers are ordered out to any work without the colors; but in time of action, the trumpets and cornets sound together. The classicum, which is a particular sound of the buccina or horn, is appropriated to the commander-in-chief and is used in the presence of the general, or at the execution of a soldier, as a mark of its being done by his authority. The ordinary guards and outposts are always mounted and relieved by the sound of trumpet, which also directs the motions of the soldiers on working parties and on field days. The cornets sound whenever the colors are to be struck or planted. These rules must be punctually observed in all exercises and reviews so that the soldiers may be ready to obey them in action without hesitation according to the general's orders either to charge or halt, to pursue the enemy or to retire. F or reason will convince us that what is necessary to be performed in the heat of action should constantly be practiced in the leisure of peace.

[jkaler48]

I will guess here that someone with a horn was either on watch or readily accessible to be woken by someone who was having been informed by the watch or shouted relay from the watch.

[M. Caecilius]

Thanks for your answers, John.

As far as the extract from Caesar goes, here we have a general already aware of an assault, The text captures well the chaos of a surprise attack, but the commander has his cornicen ready. Josephus speaks of the specific times for sleeping, changing the watch, and rising (and later for battle commands) but not of raising an alarm if something unexpected happens. Vegetius too seems to speak of the changing the guard by the means of trumpets (sounding the different vigilia), as in a command going from the camp to the sentinels, not an alarm coming from the sentinels to the camp which knows nothing yet of an attack.

Shouting relay sounds dangerous, and having to wake the hornblower first could lead to them being overrun, much as the army which thought Spartacus was no thread and did not even put up guards. Having a cornicen nearby would be nice, but would there be enough to fill all the watches, some of which may have been quite a way out from the camp?

[jkaler48]

Related to this topic are the (Made up since no original music survives) calls used at some events in the US. http://www.legioviferrata.com/sitebuilde...saudio.mp3

[Alexandr K]

Hi,

Generally it seems that trumpets and horns were used in such occasions. Another example is below. Although again it's not exactly the guards waking up troops, it seems that the live in the camp was governed by the sound of trumpets and horns (which confirms what Josephus wrote). I see no reason why every watch could not have a horn or trumpet available for alarms. This would be the easiest, most efficient and logical way.


"As far as possible, the camp should be 3 x 2 in proportion so that a blowing breeze can refresh the army. I said above a 3 x 2 ratio, for example, 2400 feet long by 1600 feet wide. If it is longer the trumpet call can be sounded, but in a disturbance the horn cannot be easily heard at the porta decumana; if it is wider, the outline is too neer being a square."
(De munitionibus castrorum 21)

Greetings,
Alexandr

[M. Caecilius]

Related to this topic are the (Made up since no original music survives) calls used at some events in the US. http://www.legioviferrata.com/sitebuilde...saudio.mp3

Some bits are actually known, including a call to arms from the 6th century B.C. The notes are recorded on a black-figure epinetron (Eleusis museum, inv. n° 907) (http://www.kerylos.fr/repertoire_extr.php), also referred to in John G Landels, Music in Ancient Greece and Rome, p.80, available via Google books. That's a single, Greek, example, though.

Generally it seems that trumpets and horns were used in such occasions. Another example is below. Although again it's not exactly the guards waking up troops, it seems that the live in the camp was governed by the sound of trumpets and horns (which confirms what Josephus wrote). I see no reason why every watch could not have a horn or trumpet available for alarms. This would be the easiest, most efficient and logical way.


"As far as possible, the camp should be 3 x 2 in proportion so that a blowing breeze can refresh the army. I said above a 3 x 2 ratio, for example, 2400 feet long by 1600 feet wide. If it is longer the trumpet call can be sounded, but in a disturbance the horn cannot be easily heard at the porta decumana; if it is wider, the outline is too neer being a square."
(De munitionibus castrorum 21)

Thanks! I assume the horn in this case is still the large cornu? Or have more portable versions been found? If the cornu, it seems rather unwieldy for someone to give a brief alert before they have to defend themselves as the enemy will try to shut the sentinel up - assuming the sentinels were posted singly, rather than in groups. That is the impression I get from Polybius' description of what awaited a guard who fell asleep or left his post: there were no colleagues to wake you up if the patrol came by to gather your tickets, or no mates to make the challenge for you.

The extract from the de munitionibus is quite interesting: does the author assume the trumpet to all from the praetorium at the centre, or from anywhere in the camp (e.g. the other side as an alarm is given at the opposite gate)?

[M. Demetrius]

Wouldn't the trumpeter always be ready at all times to give the signal?

Maybe I'm jumping too far to a conclusion, but it sounded like the implication was made that he would have to go somewhere and get his horn. I suggest that if that were his responsibility, he would simply pick up the horn and blow when he was signaled. Odds are, some of the wall guards would have a signal to alert the central trumpeter, and it makes sense (though I have no historical proofs) that the signal would give the direction of the attack, as well.

[jkaler48]

A guess is that the watch person would shout something like ALARM West Wall or Tower or the name of the gate which would be picked up and related to the commander of the watch who would turn to the duty trumpeter and have him give the signal. One can imagine that the remaining trumpters in the camp would be quickly awakened grab their instruments and repeat the signal. It is likely that each century would have someone on "fire watch" or interior guard duty of some sort.

[M. Caecilius]

Thanks, David and John.

A guess is that the watch person would shout something like ALARM West Wall or Tower or the name of the gate which would be picked up and related to the commander of the watch who would turn to the duty trumpeter and have him give the signal. One can imagine that the remaining trumpters in the camp would be quickly awakened grab their instruments and repeat the signal. It is likely that each century would have someone on "fire watch" or interior guard duty of some sort.

That's probably what would happen. So in that case, there were trumpeters at hand, just not out with the sentinels, and the rest would be a case of relaying the alarm via shouting (or making any other noise with whatever is at hand, such as drumming the weapons on the shields). Anyone within earshot would then get the signal to the nearest trumpeter, some of which will be awake for this.

As for the "fire watch", I can see that, combined with a watch to limit theft within the camp itself, which I believe was very heavily punished (Polybius?), partly as it damaged morale and trust in a unit which needs to work together. So these would be kind of like the Vigiles or troops of the IIIviri Nocturnes, with firefighting and policing duties.

[jkaler48]

Of course all of this information is contained in the various editions of the Legions of Rome Centurion's Guide which has been out of print for some time now. Copies of the early editions could be found in the Library holdings of the Alexander Library until the fire in 391. The rest of the copies seem to have been lost during the so called "Dark" ages. Many current military procedures probably have their origins in Roman military tradition passed down thru succeeding armies over time but the documentation has been lost.
Some of these intervening armies likely had access to original writing documenting Legionary practices that are now lost.

[M. Demetrius]

And there were copies on wax tablets along with tunic colors, a list of scutum blazons, and the official 1st Century drill manuals. All were stored in the library in Herculaneum in 78. For safekeeping, of course.

[Titus Manlius Verus]

Is it possible that sentries had simple whistles? We know that the Roman had simple horn whistles, so that could be a possibility.

[M. Demetrius]

Lots of things are possible. Caesar mentions trumpets as signalling for attack, and at least one other time as a signal. I don't remember any mention of whistles, anywhere. But I'm not a historian. I just sort of hang around the edges of the circle.