The Indians had an administration of military matters that was organized in six sectors. The first was in the support of the admiral, the second of the baggage train and all the servants, the musicians and the engineers1, the third of the footmen, the fourth of the horses, the fifth of the chariots and the sixth of the elephants2.
According to Procopius, an optio in the Roman army was the man responsible to give out the soldiers’ wages3 (540 AD).
Notes
Strabo, Geographica, B.15, ch.1, s.52, l.1 “συναρχία ἡ περὶ τὰ στρατιωτικά, καὶ αὕτη ταῖς πεντάσιν ἑξαχῇ διωρισμένη· ὧν τὴν μὲν μετὰ τοῦ ναυάρχου τάττουσι τὴν δὲ μετὰ τοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν βοϊκῶν ζευγῶν, δι’ ὧν ὄργανα κομίζεται καὶ τροφὴ αὐτοῖς τε καὶ κτήνεσι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ χρήσιμα τῇ στρατιᾷ.”↩
Strabo, Geographica, B.15, ch.1, s.52, l.11 “τρίτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ τῶν πεζῶν ἐπιμελούμενοι· τέταρτοι δ’ οἱ τῶν ἵππων· πέμπτοι δ’ ἁρμάτων· ἕκτοι δὲ ἐλεφάντων·”↩
Procopius, De bello Vandalico, B.2, ch.20, s.12, l.3 “οὕτω γὰρ τὸν τῶν συντάξεων χορηγὸν καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι.”↩
