Centurion Position in Battle

[Timus]

One of his more significant oddities.

Yes it is! Unless we assume it was the same sixteen men all night, every night, there would be a constant carousel of tent-swapping going on... :-|

Indeed - it does stretch the bounds of credulity.....but then the Romans were different it seems.

If I may, that kind of sleeping arrangements are fairly common in a military context. The most obvious examples are navy related, since place on a ship or submarine is at a premium. But even modern land forces sometimes still have to do that in the field. At least, all the tents or sleeping cots will be warm when your guard shift is over. Plus, in order for the first guard shift to finally retire, they have to physically remove the next shift from their sleeping places, so that reduces the risk of confusion. Having one less tent or even sleeping bag is also a plus when everything has to be carried on the soldiers' back.
Judging from the family's stories, it's really just part of of the military life when you're away from the barracks.

I don't know if if the Romans did it, but that would not strike me as odd at all.