Roman Camp Watchtower COBI 20076 - Imperium Romanum

Did you know:

• The Roman Empire built permanent military camps on occupied territories known as Castrum.
• The section with a palisade, rampart, and watchtower Turris specula is represented by this building set.
• Military camps were always constructed according to the same scheme, with a rectangular ground plan where the shorter side faced the enemy.
• The camp had a main gate called Porta Praetoria and a rear gate Porta Decumana.
• Auxiliary troops dug a one-meter-deep ditch Fossa around the camp with an embankment Vallum. Onto the rampart they attached Pilum murale, which every unit carried with them. This created a palisade tied with ropes, approximately 120 cm high.
• In the center of the camp stood the commander’s tent with rooms for the scribe and treasurer.
• The camp also included soldiers’ tents, workshops, latrines, a field hospital, and stables.
• The street Via Quintana led to the forge Fabrica, warehouses Horrea, baths, and stables.
• The heart of the camp was the headquarters square Principia and the commander’s tent Praetorium. A straight street, Via Principalis, ran through the center of the camp, connecting the side gates.
• Legions on the march carried food supplies for up to two years, but once a Roman camp was built in a region, it always attracted local merchants and traders who settled immediately around the camp.
• The watchtower was manned by 1–2 guards, who rotated every 3 hours.
• Specially selected guards had to pass a vision test. The military regulation Epitoma rei militaris required excellent eyesight by day and the ability to see at night. Their vision was tested at night by releasing small rodents. The guards’ task was to count them.
  
• From preserved records we know that the architect of Roman camp structures was Sextus Julius Frontinus, who described his work in the book Strategemata.

Technical parameters:

• tower footprint 3×3 m
• height 6–10 m
• platform height (observation deck) 5–9 m above ground
• material: oak wood
• post thickness 20–22 cm
• function: early warning signalling, gate illumination, and watch control at the gate
• construction time 4–6 hours

Roman regulation Strategemata – Frontinus:

“Mastering the strategy of defending a camp is essential knowledge for every commander. In the case of a watchtower, it is necessary to use the possibilities of signalling with fire and smoke. To deceive enemies and lure them into a trap, it is advisable to equip the lookout post with mannequins and place shields so that the enemy believes the tower is fully manned. If they launch an assault on the tower, the legions will strike them from behind.”

About the building set :

• the COBI 20076 building set is made of 628 high-quality ABS bricks
• Imperium Romanum collection
• pad printed – no stickers
• highly accurate detailing
• made in the EU