LEGION. In a Roman consular army each grand division, corre pending nearly to • modern brigade, was so denominated ; and the word indicates a selection of the individuals composing such division. The name is still occasionally given to a body of troops consisting of several regiments or battalions, when raised at a particular place or for a particular service.
The strength of a Roman legion varied at different periods. When Romulus divided the citizens of his newly-formed state into three portions or tribes, he also divided the men who were able to bear arms into bodies of 3000 men, and each of these constituted a legion, which was commanded by one or three prefects or tribunes. (Plutarch, in Rom.) Servius Tullius, who, by the enlargement of the city, formed a fourth tribe, is supposed to have raised the strength of the legion to 4000 men. About 150 years afterwards, when Camillus marched against Satrietun, he had four legions, each of which consisted of that number of men (Liv., L 22); but, twenty years later, the strength of the legion is stated to have been 5000 foot and 300 horse. (Liv., viii. 8.) This probably continued to be the general establishment of that body of troops, though partienlar circumstances might cause it to be °ma eionelly increased. Scipio landed in Africa (Lie., =ix. 24) with two legions, each consisting of 6200 men (though the best commentators puma* that 5200 is meant); and while the Roman army was acting against Perseus in Macedon, each legion contained 0000 root and 200 horse. (Lir., xliiL 12.) Vegetlus, who lived in the 4th century, describes the legion (lib. ii., cap. 6) as a body consisting of 6100 foot soldiers, besides 720 horsemen; but he designates this the ancient legion, and his account is probably applicable only to the state of that body in the age of Hadrian and the Antonines. The legion declined under the later emperors, and in the time of Constantine it appears to have consisted of only 1500 men.
During the reign of Augustus twenty-five legions were placed per manently on the frontiers of the empire ; and in the time of Hadrian the number of legions composing the Roman army was 30, exclusive of the auxiliaries. Their disposition in Italy and the provinces may be
seen in Gibbon, vol. L, ch. 1. The legions were denoted by numbers, and they were further designated by the name of the emperor who raised them, or by the name of the place where they were raised, or where they had chetinguLthed themselves.
The manner In which the soldiers were elected to serve in the legions is fully described by Polybius (book vi., ch. 1), who lived In the age of nibble and Scipio; and it may be presumed that We was In accord ance with the prescribed regulations, which however were only followed when the necessities of the state did not compel the magistrates to dispense with them. When an army consisting of four legions was to be raised, the citizen. of the proper ages being mumbled on an appointed day in the Capitol, the military tribunes drew out the tribes by lot, and from that which was first called they eulected four men of nearly equal age and stature : of these the tribunes who were appointed to the first legion chose one; those who were appointed to the second legion chose another; and so on. Afterwards the whole body of the tHLunen chose four other men, and of these the tribunes of the second legion first chose one ; those of the third legion then chose another ; and so on, the tribunes of the first legion taking the last man of tin four. In like order the election proceeded, till the required number of men was obtained. Polybius states that, in his time, the horsemen were enrolled before the foot soldiers, but that anciently the former were chosen last.
Immediately after the enrolment, the recruit., for the legions being made to advance one by one, each was sworn to be obedient to his commanders, and to exect1to all the orders which ho should receive from them to the utmost of his power.