Pabulator
The Pabulator (plural pabulatores ) (fodder hauler) was a member of the Roman army who was employed in the marching camp with the procurement of fresh green stuff for the care of the riding horses and pack animals.
The grass was mowed on site by several pabulatores grouped together in departments, or existing fodder ( pabulum ) was obtained from them from the surrounding estates. The animal food was loaded onto the two-horse carts ( iumenta ) that were carried along and transported to the legion's marching camp or to the location of a smaller body of troops. The fodder procurement ( pabulatio ) carried out at night or in the early morning and the subsequent transport ( vectura ) were militarily secured by mounted troops. These were tactically divided into individual guard posts ( stationes ) and positioned according to the terrain.
Since the grass clippings were not allowed to heat up, because otherwise they would ferment and therefore had to be fed to the animals, especially the horses, in good time, storage for several days or subsequent transport to the army that had already set out was impossible. A certain amount of specialist knowledge of grasses, herbs and animal husbandry was necessary in order to avoid possible poisoning or other intolerances in the livestock. The implementation of the pabulatio was therefore probably carried out with permanent staff.
While the pabulatores are attested in the republican and imperial legions, it is not clear whether the pabulator himself was a regular combatant or another member of the troops such as the unarmed Mulio (donkey driver). However, the daily supply of the camp army with animal feed and wood ( lignatio ) is often described in the sources together as conventional camp service. Ordinary camp service was part of the duties of a simple legionnaire who had been in the rank of miles gregarius . It therefore seems more likely that the pabulator was a soldier.
See also
swell
- Hirtius , De bello Gallico Liber 8,10,1
- Caesar , Commentarii de bello Gallico 5,17,2
- Caesar, Commentarii de bello civili 1,55,1 , 1,80,4
- Frontinus , strategemata 2,5,3
literature
- Wolfgang Fischer: The Roman camp, especially after Livius , Leipzig, Teubner, 1914. S. 191 ff.
- Alfred Neumann : Papulatores. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 4, Stuttgart 1972, column 393.