Military · Roman Empire Daily
Roman legions built a fortified camp to the same basic layout almost every night on the march.
Deep dive
Soldiers carried tools and dug ditches and ramparts to lay out a rectangular camp with regular streets and gates wherever they stopped. The predictable plan meant any soldier knew where to find his unit, the headquarters, or a gate in the dark.
Source: Polybius, 'Histories,' 6.27–32; Josephus, 'The Jewish War,' 3.76–84.
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