These thirty they
bade select from among themselves three. Then they set the three, an
Umbrian and a Ligurian outlaw, and a Dalmatian pirate, along the front of
the stone platform and asked us whether we would accept those three as our
centurions. Two speakers, one a Venetian and the other an Insubrian Gaul,
objected to the pirate. In his place we were bidden to choose some other
from the twenty-seven already selected by the sergeants. A second Umbrian
outlaw was selected.
Then the centurions bade the newly-elected three to choose each one man in
rotation, until they had made up for each the nucleus of a century from
the unmarked men.
After the three new centuries were thus constituted, they asked them to
decide whether they would accept as comrades and associates the residue of
the inmates of our _ergastulum_ who were marked plainly as runaway slaves.
They voted overwhelmingly to accept us. Then the three new sergeants
proceeded to choose us also into their centuries. The choosing was
interrupted by a Ravenna Gaul, who called the attention of the assembly to
the fact that Agathemer had been cook to the _ergastulum_ and I his
helper; similarly to the baker and his assistant. After some discussion it
was unanimously voted that the baker and his helper be treated as any
others of the liberated rascals, that the three new centurions draw lots
which should have Agathemer for cook to his century and me for his helper,
and that the other two centuries appoint cooks by lot unless cooks and
helpers volunteered.
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