Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-08-19

| rAN-N-'ti S2t'SS "tit Fa'i'scrt, tyania
Gus. Jerusalem. Palmyra. &c. YY
natives were. the S.gsians, the 'iyr;an,
the Daenie;ans. the Jews OF Hebrew,
Nc. The Romans who united il 60 q,
empire, were pompey, who PIT an en-
TO the kingdom OF Syria anil vesaa
sian ana Titus, who reduced; the Jews
| The Barbarians who Invaded it were
the Saracens. the Turks, &c. The
present inhabitants are Turks.
8. Egypt: Tie Romans sabd;vidcd
Ibis province into Il great number OF
districts. The principal cities were
Alexandria. Berenice, Syene, I'hebes.
Coptcs. &c. The natives were The
Egyptians, people among the most
an:;ent. and the first w,io cultivated
the sciences. Pompcy and Cesar. one
after the other. had Egypt at their dis
posal and Octayius (afterwar;ls All
Si,stus) reduced it into the form of a
Roman province. Tae Barbariaas who
invaded it were the Saraeens. the Turks.
&c. The present inhabitants are the
Turks. the NlameIucs, the Copts, tie
Arabs. Sc.
9. .africa: Subdiyi,ied into Lydia.
Africa proper, Numidia, and Msurita-
nia. The principal cities were. Ting;s,
Cesarea, itippon, Utica. Carthage. CIV
remc, Sc. Gi5hon reckous 500 in al.
The natives were, the i,ybians, the AZ
ricans, the Carthaginians, the NUM-
dians, (esteemed the best horsemen of
their time. the NIauritarians, Sc
The Romans who suk;,gate,l Africa
were, Scipi0 Africans the second. who
destroyed Carthage; Metellus. Marius.
Syila, and Cesar; and Ap?ien bequeatil-
ed his kingdom Of Cyreue. This pro-
vince was invaded by the Saracens and
the Turks. The present inhabitants
are. the Moors. the Al,,crincs, the
Ts'nisians, the Tripoli.ans, and the
Turks.
The total number Of Subjects who
acknowledged the laws of Rome, OF cit
liens, Of provincials, and of slaves.
from the imperfect calculation that
can now be made, would rise to about
one hundred and twenty millions ofper-
sons. Ut forms the most .umerous So
ciety that has ever been united under
the same system of government.
The constitution Of the military force
with which the Romans achieved and
maintained their conguests, deserves
some notice. shall take the dcscrip-
ton OF the imperial in preference to
that OF the republican legion, because
discipline may well be supposed to have
reached its highest point OF perfection
in the time Of the emperors. The hea-
Wy armed infantry, which composed the
principal strength of the legion, was
| divided into ten cohorts, and fify-fiye
companies. under the orders OF cor
respondent number of t,.ibunes and cen
turions. The first cohort, which al
ways claimed the post fhOnor and The
custody Of the eagle, was formed OF
i,tO5 soldiers. the most approved for
va!or and fidelity: the remaining nine
cohorts consisted each Of 555, and the
whole body of legionary infantry a.
mounted TO 6.100 men: theirarms were
an open helmet with lofty crest a
breast-p'ate, or coat OF mail; graaves
on their legs, and an ample bucsler on
their left arm: the buekler was Of an
oblong and concaye figure, four feet in
length and two and an halfin breadth.
framed of light wood covered with a
bulls hide, and strongly guarded with
plates ofbrass. Besides a light spear.
the legionary soldiergrasped in his right
hand the plum a ponderous iayelin,
whose utmost length was about six feet,
and which was terminated by a massy
triangular point Of steel ofeighteen in
ches: this Instrument, however. was
exhausted by a single discharge, at the
distance of only ten Or twelve PAGES.
Launched by n firm and s,lilfuI hand,
no cavalry duTst venture within its
reach. nor could any shield or corslet
sustain the impetuosity OF its weight:
when the piiinl was discharged, the Ro-
man soldier drew his sword and closed
with his enemy: his sword was short,
well-tempered. Spanish blade, with a
doabie edge, suited alike to the purpose
ofsti1king or Of pushing. The legion
was usually drawn up eight deep, and
the regular distance OF three feet was
left between the files as well as ranks.
The Macedonian phaIanx was not a
match for the Roman legion. The
strength OF the phalanx depended on
sixteen ranks OflOnS pixies, wedged to-
Setiier In the closest array; but the
eomPactncss of this body yielded TO the
activity oftlic legion, to which was adj
ded the cavalry, divided ialo Ten troops
or squadrOns the first, as tie eoraOa-