Armidoctor

For any Roman legionary on the march in foreign parts the day did not end when their commander decided they had marched long enough. No matter how far they had come, when the legionaries reached their destination they then had to knuckle down and build a 'castrum' or camp. As befits Romans, these marching camps were not casual affairs. A suitable spot would be chosen and measured out to create an enclosed area of four Greek 'plethora' or 3600 square metres. A ditch would then be dug all around the perimeter and an earth rampart built up with a barricade of wooden stakes on top. Spaces for each maniple or cohort were assigned according to a standard plan. All this was done in under two hours and would provide considerable fortification while on the move. All this work needed practice, lots and lots of lovely practice, as centurions must have explained as they hit slacking legionaries with their vine sticks.