De procinctu romanae miliciae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
De procinctu romanae miliciae (On the Training of the Roman Army)[1] is a short Latin treatise on the Roman army written by Hrabanus Maurus for the Frankish king Lothair II in 855 or 856.[2] It is an epitome of an epitome, being based on the Epitoma rei militaris of Flavius Vegetius Renatus from around the year 400. The purpose of the work—whether is was practical and to what extent the selection of material reflects the realities of the Frankish army—is a matter of debate.[1]
Hrabanus must have written De procinctu after 29 September 855, when Lothair I divided his kingdom of Middle Francia among his sons, and before his own death on 4 February 856.[3]
After a brief prologue, De procinctu is divided into fifteen numbered and titled chapters.[1][4] The quotations from Vegetius are taken entirely from sixteen chapters of the first book of the Epitoma and two chapters of the second book.[2] De procinctu rarely retains the exact wording of its source.[3][5] The information retained may be only what was deemed useful and relevant to Frankish army.[6][3] The emphasis is on training, especially for the march and for infantry to maintain formation during attacks.[6][2]
In chapter three, Hrabanus quotes what seems to be a Frankish proverb: "In youth, one can become a horseman, but at an older age, either hardly or never."[1] Other minor additions include a comment on the Franks' continuing practice of practising mounting horses without the aid of stirrups from both sides and a comment on recruiting bear hunters to the army.[1][3]