''De Munitionibus Castrorum'' ("Concerning the fortifications of a military camp") is a work by an unknown author. Due to this work formerly being attributed to
Hyginus Gromaticus Hyginus Gromaticus (Gromaticus from '' groma'', a surveying device) was a Latin writer on land-surveying, who flourished in the reign of Trajan (AD 98–117). Fragments of a work on boundaries attributed to him are found in '' Corpus Agrimensoru ...
, its author is often called "Pseudo-Hyginus". This work is the most detailed surviving description of a Roman military camp (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
: ''
castra
In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term.
In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...
'') and dates most probably from the late 1st to early 2nd century AD.
The author and the time of creation of the work
Very little is known about the author of ''De munitionibus castrorum''. According to the text, his work was intended to be a useful manual about how to properly lay out a military camp, specially written for a high-ranked officer:
:''"novitatem metationis ad magnitudinem tuam primus adferam, quae tibi spero placebit, si primum cottidianam metationem tractabis"''
He also suggests that he was a beginner author and used other authors' works relevant to the theme:
:''"In quantum potui, domine frater, pro tirocinio meo, in brevi omnes auctores sum persecutus, sed quidquid circa compositionem castrorum aestalivium instituerunt, in hoc libello, priusquam numeros instituerem, sub ratione omnia declaravi"''
The exact date of creation of the work is also uncertain. According to Domaszewski, it is certain that the work was not written before the time of the Roman emperor
Trajan
Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
(it mentions ''Daci'' amongst the auxiliary forces), and was before the reforms of
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
(the
Roman legion
The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period of ...
has its traditional structure). Domaszewski suggested that the image of the camp best fits the early second century AD, prior to the reforms of
Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
.
Experts, however, still dispute the date, ranging from the earliest dating to the rule of
Domitian
Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavi ...
.
It is also disputed whether such a large camp was ever built by the Romans. Archaeological finds clearly show that in actual practice a military camp was not always so regularly organized, as suggested by the author.
But, as he describes even the smallest part of the camp (including how much space is required for a soldier or a horse), it may be adopted to the requirements of the practice. He also mentions some general rules which must be considered when constructing a camp, although most of them are obvious (like a water source must be in the vicinity, etc.).
Original Manuscript
The text survives in the ''Codex Arcerianus'', a collection of ''
agrimensores
''Gromatici'' (from Latin '' groma'' or ''gruma'', a surveyor's pole) or ''agrimensores'' was the name for land surveyors amongst the ancient Romans. The "gromatic writers" were technical writers who codified their techniques of surveying, most ...
'' in the Herzog-August-Bibliothek at
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest c ...
(Cod. Guelf. 36.23A). However, it has been distorted by numerous corruptions, necessitating heavy editing. Thus, the text published by Domaszewski differs from that of Grillone, while Lenoir's text differs from both. A new Latin text (with English translation) has now been published.
[Duncan B. Campbell, ''Fortifying a Roman Camp: The'' Liber de munitionibus castrorum ''of Hyginus''. (2018) ]
* ''Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum: Codex arcerianus A der Herzog-August-Bibliothek zu Wolfenbüttel (Cod. Guelf. 36.23A)'', ''Codices Graeci et Latini photographice depicti'' Vol. XXII, ed. H. Butzmann. Lugduni Batavorum: A.W. Sijthoff, 1970. (includes facsimile of Codex Arcerianus, which contains ''De munitionibus castrorum''). Onlin
here
Editions
* C.C.L. Lange, ''Hygini Gromatici, Liber De Munitionibus Castrorum'' (Göttingen 1848). Latin text and commentary in Latin.
* W. Gemoll, ''Hygini Gromatici, Liber De Munitionibus Castrorum'' (Leipzig 1879). Latin text.
*
A. von Domaszewski, ''Hygini Gromatici, Liber De Munitionibus Castrorum'' (Leipzig 1887). Latin text, German translation, and short essay on the work in German.
* A. Grillone, ''Hygini qui dicitur de Metatione Castrorum Liber'' (Leipzig 1977). Latin text.
* M. Lenoir, ''Pseudo-Hygin, Des Fortifications du Camp'' (Paris 1979). Latin text, French translation, and copious notes on the work in French.
* A. Grillone, ''Gromatica militare: lo ps. Igino. Prefazione, testo, traduzione e commento'' (Brussels 2012). Latin text (basically Grillone's 1977 text), Italian translation, and commentary in Italian.
*
Duncan B. Campbell, ''Fortifying a Roman Camp. The'' Liber de munitionibus castrorum ''of Hyginus'' (Glasgow 2018). Latin text, facing-page English translation, ''apparatus criticus''.
English Translations
* Catherine M. Gilliver: The ''de munitionibus castrorum'': Text and Translation. Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies, Volume 4, 1993. 33–48. (Grillone's 1977 Latin text; also includes a short introduction, and a short bibliography of the most important literature)
* Alan Richardson - ''Theoretical Aspects of Roman Camp and Fort Design'' (BAR, 2004) (includes a 1925 translation of "De Munitionibus Castrorum" by Ian A. Richmond).
* Duncan B. Campbell, ''Fortifying a Roman Camp: The'' Liber de munitionibus castrorum ''of Hyginus''. Includes a new Latin text with facing-page English translation and ''apparatus criticus''.
Notes
External links
* (Appendix 1 is an English translation of ''De Munitionibus Castrorum'', "based on the 1977 Teubner text of Grillone and the 1979 Budé text of Lenoir".)
* (Grillone's 1977 Latin text.)
* (Lenoir's 1979 Latin text.)
{{Authority control
3rd-century Latin books
Latin military books
Roman military writers
Anonymous works
Works of unknown authorship