their pace, they could march 24 miles in the ſame time. If this appears to be a greater effort than ſoldiers in the preſent age are equal to, we ſhould conſider the effects[1] of habit and exerciſe. The armour of our own forefathers, which was eaſily carried by them, and under the weight of which they even performed feats of activity, could ſcarcely be ſupported by a man of moderate ſtrength in the preſent age. Vegetius tells us, that in his time the Weight of the armour and proviſions, which was carried by the Roman ſoldiers on theſe long marches, amounted to 60 pounds. Yet We have reaſon to believe that this was done without any extraordinary difficulty. Their military exerciſe was a conſtant habituation to fatigue, whereas that of modern times is more adapted to the practice of quick motions, and rapid evolutions, than to the endurance of hardſhip and labour. This circumſtance gave the ſoldiers of antiquity a capacity of performing what We can ſcarcely conceive. Yet we muſt not deny what is ſo inconteſtably proved, from writers[2]of the beſt authority, and indeed from the general tenor of hiſtory.
From Cicero Cicero gives nearly the ſame account with Vegetius of the- ↑ Livy reckons 25 Roman miles (equal to 200 ſtadia, as appears from the corre{{ls}ponding paſſage in Polybius) to be a day's journey or march for a body of men, on a military expedition. Twenty-five Roman miles were equal to 22.893 Eng. miles. Liv. lib. xxi. feel. 28.
- ↑ Pondus bajulare, uſque ad ſexaginta libras, et iter facere gradu militari frequentiſſime cogendi ſunt juniores, quibus in arduis expeditionibus neceſſitas imminet annonam pariter et arma portandi. Nec hoc credatur eſſe difficile, ſi uſus acceſſerit, nihil enim eſt quod non aſſidua meditatia facillimum reddat. Quam rem antiquos milites factitaviſſe Virgilio ipſo teſte cognoſcitur. Veget. lib. i. cap. 19.
Silvam cædere, portare onera, tranſilire foſſas, natare in mari ſeu fluminibus, gradu pleno ambulare, vel currere, etiam armatos, cum ſarcinis ſuis frequentiſſime convenit; ut quotidiani laboris uſus in pace, difficilis non videatur in bello. Veget. lib. ii. cap. 23.
