Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Muli mariani

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

MULI MARIA'NI. C. Marius, with the object of remedying the inconvenience resulting from the immense baggage-train which accompanied an army on its march, made each soldier carry his own rations for a certain number of days' provision, together with the vessels for dressing it, and his personal baggage, on the top of a pole fixed to his back. This custom was subsequently retained, as shown by the annexed figure (Muli_Mariani/1.1), representing one of the soldiers in Trajan's army, from the column of that emperor; but when first introduced, the practice, being a novelty, gave rise to the joke which attached to these men the nickname of "Marius' mules," because they carried their loads like beasts of burden, on their backs. Frontin. Strateg. iv. 1. 7. Festus, s. v. and s. Aerumnula.

• 
  Muli Mariani/1.1