A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

The Census Classes 343
class. The seniors were to guard the city, the juniors to
carry on war in the field. Their arms were a helmet, a
round shield, greaves, and a corselet—all of bronze.
This
armor was for defence. Their ofifensive weapons were a
spear and a sword. To the first class were added two centuries
of mechanics, who were to serve without arms.
Their duty was to convey the military engines.
The second class included all whose estates were worth
from seventy-five to a hundred thousand asses.
From the
seniors and juniors of this class twenty centuries in all were
enrolled. Their shields were oblong instead of round, and
they had no corselet. With these exceptions their arms were
the same as those of the first class. The property of the
third class amounted to fifty thousand asses (at the lowest);
the number of the centuries was the same as of the
second class with the same distinction of age.
Their arms,
too, were the same excepting that they wore no greaves.
The fourth class, including all whose property was rated
at twenty-five thousand asses (at the lowest), furnished
the same number of centuries; but they had no arms excepting
a spear and a long javelin. The fifth class included
thirty centuries, who carried slings and stones for throwing.
Among them were counted three centuries of horn-blowers
and trumpeters. The property of the class was rated at
eleven thousand asses (at the lowest).
All below this rating
formed one century exempt from military service.
After dividing and arming the infantry in this way, he
levied twelve centuries of knights from among the chief
men of the state. And of the three centuries instituted by
Romulus he made six without changing their names. ^ Ten
thousand asses from the public revenue were given the
1 The three original centuries were distinguished from the three 70.)
afterward added by the terms 'earlier" and "later."
Livy i. 43.
(In the third
century B.C.
the as, a copper
coin, was
worth nearly
two cents; in
earlier times
its value was
greater.
Probably the
classification
was at first
based on
land.)
(Livy is confused
as to
the numbers;
cf. Rome, 34.
70; Ancient
World, 341.)
The cavalry.
(In fact the
number was
doubled, and
long afterward
twelve
were added;
Rome, 34,