Title of a roman general?
- Thread starter Emiricol
- Start date
Khorod
First Post
I'm not sure when Dux Bellorum came into use, but Caesar did bear that title during the Gallic Wars.
Imperator means something like 'one with the power'. It initially grew out of having control over the armies. The word evolved into our notion of Emperor later. Of course, he who controls the armies...
Imperator means something like 'one with the power'. It initially grew out of having control over the armies. The word evolved into our notion of Emperor later. Of course, he who controls the armies...
Dragongirl
First Post
No problem, hope it helps.Emiricol said:
green slime
First Post
I second that vote!
Just what I was looking for, actually!
Just what I was looking for, actually!
tarchon
First Post
Khorod said:
I've never seen evidence of its use as a title outside of post-Roman Britain
(the one reference in Nennius). It occurs nowhere in De Bello Gallico.
Dux itself didn't really become a regular military title until Diocletian. It appears to have designated the commander responsible for operations within a province (the Dux of Whereever), though an ad hoc dux could be appointed for particular operations.
To answer the question, you have to pick a time period. There is no single answer that applies to the whole of Roman history.
Dux is the root word for Duke, along with the very similar Duc from the old french. Most likely a denotion of the office who ruled over a particular province.
The Legatus was typically a senator in his 30s who had been a senatorial tribune and then gone through the civilian government posts in Rome. He was appointed by the emperor and held command for 3 or 4 years, although some became very good generals and served much longer. In a province with only one legion, the legatus also serves as governor; in provinces with multiple legions, each legion has a legatus and the provincial governor has command of all of them.
Second in command of the legion was the tribunus laticlavus or senatorial tribune, a fresh-faced young man on his first job away from home. He probably relied heavily on the next man down, the praefectus castrorum or camp prefect, a grizzled veteran who had been promoted up through the centurionate. Then came the five tribuni angusticlavi or equestrian tribunes, appointed from the wealthy class (just below senators). These men actually had more experience than the higher-ranking senatorial tribune, having just served about three years as independent commanders of auxiliary cohorts. (Auxiliaries were enlisted from the provinces, and some of them were pretty barbaric). It used to be said that the tribunes just held administrative posts and did not actually lead troops, but now it is thought that each equestrian tribune commanded two cohorts of legionaries. This would be a logical step up in status from commanding one cohort of auxiliaries. After a term as legionary tribune, an equestrian tribune could be promoted to command of an auxiliary cavalry ala ("wing", 24 turmae totalling c. 512 men).
Then come the centurions, 59 or 60 to a legion. They have their own very confusing hierarchy: There are six distinct steps of seniority in each cohort, from lowest to highest: hastatus posterior, hastatus prior, princeps posterior, princeps prior, pilus posterior, pilus prior. (Note that "pilus" means "file", NOT the same word as "pilum". In the Republic the triarii were sometimes referred to as "pilani".) The cohorts themselves are ranked from the First (highest) to the Tenth (lowest). In theory a centurion would start in the lowest spot in the Tenth cohort, rise to the top of that, then move to the lowest spot in the Ninth cohort, etc. Probably it never really happened that slowly. The centurions of the first cohort were called the primi ordines, and were headed by the primus pilus ("first FILE"!), the senior centurion in the whole legion. From there a man could rise to praefectus castrorum, third in command of the whole legion, and after a year in that post he'd retire in fabulous wealth and glory.
Many centurions, probably most (and probably the best), rose from the ranks by merit (and connections, very important in the Roman world!). Some centurions, however, were directly appointed by provincial governors from members of the equestrian class. These were wealthy men who decided to join the army as centurions in order to gain advantages and status, and they were apparently "fast-tracked" for promotion, rising quickly to the highest ranks over the heads of the men of lower social status who had risen from the ranks.
The centurions formed the backbone of the army's professional officer corps. It is difficult to draw an exact parallel to modern ranks, but they can be thought of as sort of a cross between a company first sergeant and a captain, and holding ranks as high as a colonel. While the legatus and tribunes were political appointees, assuring that the army was controlled by men trusted by the Emperor, the centurions were the skilled professional soldiers who would be relied on to run a legion on campaign and in battle.
At the bottom end of the scale are the milites gregarii, the common soldiers. After enlistment they spend a couple months in boot camp, then get posted to a legion and spend their first six months rated as recruits (tirones). The first step up a soldier could make was to immunis, meaning he was posted to some more skilled task (clerical, craftsman, etc.) and was generally "immune" from the usual hard labor and dirty jobs such as road building. The first real promotion was to pay-and-a-half (sesquiplicarius), such as the tesserarius (guard sergeant), cornicen (horn player), etc. Next come the double-pay posts (duplicarii), such as optio (second in command of a century), signifer (or is he a sesquiplicarius?), and aquilifer (the Legion's eagle-bearer, a VERY prestigious post!). Then, hopefully, would come the big step up to centurion.
There is a bit of stuff for you as for the Name of the Provincial Governer it could be anything from Prelate,Procurator, to Praetor ( Knowledge from the age of Julias Ceaser, from the biblical Pontias Pilate, and Josephus )
The Legatus was typically a senator in his 30s who had been a senatorial tribune and then gone through the civilian government posts in Rome. He was appointed by the emperor and held command for 3 or 4 years, although some became very good generals and served much longer. In a province with only one legion, the legatus also serves as governor; in provinces with multiple legions, each legion has a legatus and the provincial governor has command of all of them.
Second in command of the legion was the tribunus laticlavus or senatorial tribune, a fresh-faced young man on his first job away from home. He probably relied heavily on the next man down, the praefectus castrorum or camp prefect, a grizzled veteran who had been promoted up through the centurionate. Then came the five tribuni angusticlavi or equestrian tribunes, appointed from the wealthy class (just below senators). These men actually had more experience than the higher-ranking senatorial tribune, having just served about three years as independent commanders of auxiliary cohorts. (Auxiliaries were enlisted from the provinces, and some of them were pretty barbaric). It used to be said that the tribunes just held administrative posts and did not actually lead troops, but now it is thought that each equestrian tribune commanded two cohorts of legionaries. This would be a logical step up in status from commanding one cohort of auxiliaries. After a term as legionary tribune, an equestrian tribune could be promoted to command of an auxiliary cavalry ala ("wing", 24 turmae totalling c. 512 men).
Then come the centurions, 59 or 60 to a legion. They have their own very confusing hierarchy: There are six distinct steps of seniority in each cohort, from lowest to highest: hastatus posterior, hastatus prior, princeps posterior, princeps prior, pilus posterior, pilus prior. (Note that "pilus" means "file", NOT the same word as "pilum". In the Republic the triarii were sometimes referred to as "pilani".) The cohorts themselves are ranked from the First (highest) to the Tenth (lowest). In theory a centurion would start in the lowest spot in the Tenth cohort, rise to the top of that, then move to the lowest spot in the Ninth cohort, etc. Probably it never really happened that slowly. The centurions of the first cohort were called the primi ordines, and were headed by the primus pilus ("first FILE"!), the senior centurion in the whole legion. From there a man could rise to praefectus castrorum, third in command of the whole legion, and after a year in that post he'd retire in fabulous wealth and glory.
Many centurions, probably most (and probably the best), rose from the ranks by merit (and connections, very important in the Roman world!). Some centurions, however, were directly appointed by provincial governors from members of the equestrian class. These were wealthy men who decided to join the army as centurions in order to gain advantages and status, and they were apparently "fast-tracked" for promotion, rising quickly to the highest ranks over the heads of the men of lower social status who had risen from the ranks.
The centurions formed the backbone of the army's professional officer corps. It is difficult to draw an exact parallel to modern ranks, but they can be thought of as sort of a cross between a company first sergeant and a captain, and holding ranks as high as a colonel. While the legatus and tribunes were political appointees, assuring that the army was controlled by men trusted by the Emperor, the centurions were the skilled professional soldiers who would be relied on to run a legion on campaign and in battle.
At the bottom end of the scale are the milites gregarii, the common soldiers. After enlistment they spend a couple months in boot camp, then get posted to a legion and spend their first six months rated as recruits (tirones). The first step up a soldier could make was to immunis, meaning he was posted to some more skilled task (clerical, craftsman, etc.) and was generally "immune" from the usual hard labor and dirty jobs such as road building. The first real promotion was to pay-and-a-half (sesquiplicarius), such as the tesserarius (guard sergeant), cornicen (horn player), etc. Next come the double-pay posts (duplicarii), such as optio (second in command of a century), signifer (or is he a sesquiplicarius?), and aquilifer (the Legion's eagle-bearer, a VERY prestigious post!). Then, hopefully, would come the big step up to centurion.
There is a bit of stuff for you as for the Name of the Provincial Governer it could be anything from Prelate,Procurator, to Praetor ( Knowledge from the age of Julias Ceaser, from the biblical Pontias Pilate, and Josephus )
Last edited:
Ranger REG
Explorer
Do not forget the principalis ranks: Optio (pl., Optiones) who serve as lietenant to the Centurions.
Although Decurions (lat., Decuriones) are usually cavalrymen, I used this rank for leaders of "ten-miles squad" or contubernium (literally "tent-party"), which is actually only 8 milites in a squad.
Although Decurions (lat., Decuriones) are usually cavalrymen, I used this rank for leaders of "ten-miles squad" or contubernium (literally "tent-party"), which is actually only 8 milites in a squad.
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