Circitōres, Circuitōres
（
περίπολοι). Horsemen who made the rounds in the Roman
camp, and inspected the sentry posts. Four of these inspectors, who were selected for this
duty every day, according to a regular cycle, received from the tribune written instructions
as to the time when they were to visit each post, and the number of posts to be visited. After
receiving their orders, they went and posted themselves by the first maniple of the
triarii, the centurion of which was required to see that the hours of the
watch were properly given by the sound of the trumpet; then, when the time came, the
circuitor of the first watch proceeded on his rounds to all the posts; if he
found the guards awake and on duty, he took their tablets; if he found them asleep, or any one
absent from his post, he called upon the friends who accompanied him to witness the fact, and
so passed on to the next post. The same was done by the
circuitores of
the other watches. The next morning, all the inspectors appeared before the tribunes, and
presented the tablets they had received; any guard whose tablet was not produced was required
to account for it. If the fault lay with the
circuitor, he was liable to
a stoning, which was generally fatal. See
Castra.
