Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Wars and ConflictsΒ  permalink

Social status of Roman Centurians

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Catigern (U14419012) on Monday, 2nd August 2010

  I'm putting this here, rather than in Ancient and Grubbing, because I'm interested in comparison with more modern armies, especially the allegedly meritocratic New Model Army.
  
  Bearing in mind that things almost certainly changed over the thousand-plus years of Royal/Republican/Imperial Rome, was promotion from Legionary up to Centurian purely meritocratic in military terms, or did those of the 'middle classes' who ended up in the Legions enjoy any sort of 'accelerated promotion' or 'fast stream' system comparable to, say, British police forces' graduate entry schemes? Obviously, literacy was required once a certain level of rank was achieved, but how close did the Romans come to having an 'officer class' comparable to the modern British Army? Centurians are sometimes described as comparable to SNCOs, but a legion's senior centurian, the Primus Pilus, had command responsibilities comparable to a modern Brigadier General, or even a Major General if he ended up operating independently of a Legate or Provincial Governor, bearing in mind that a legion is usually reckoned comparable to a modern infantry division.

  Link to this forum: Social status of Roman Centurians

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by cloudyj (U1773646) on Monday, 2nd August 2010

  I guess it depends on the period, in the early Imperial period centurians came from a variety of routes. Plebians could be promoted from the ranks or equestrians and talented civil officers could be commissioned directly. But most were the "middle classes" who worked their way up from junior officer status.

  Link to this forum: Social status of Roman Centurians

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Monday, 2nd August 2010

  I suspect that anyone literate could probably have worked his way up, not from "Marius' Mule" but probably starting as one of the "immunes" after minimal time as a "miles"

  Link to this forum: Social status of Roman Centurians

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Friday, 6th August 2010

  Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:36 GMT, in reply to Catigern in message 1
  
  You could also join the centurionate by transferring from the Praetorian Guard. If you could demonstrate your worth to your centurion you were on to a winner, too, providing it was sufficient for him to select you as his optio ad spem ordines, (loosely translated as "centurion's choice"), which was essentially a deputy centurion and the first rung on the ladder.
  
  In any case, 'Centurion' seems to have been not so much a rank as a job description. There were ranks within the centurionate: each Imperial legionary cohort comprised six centuries, with their commanders ranked, apparently in order of seniority (bottom first) as Hastatus Posterior, Hastatus Prior, Princeps Posterior, Princeps Prior, Pilus Posterior, Pilus Prior. Whether one progressed up the ranks within one's own cohort, or whether one could be promoted by moving into another cohort, or even if one could be promoted sideways (was, say, the Princeps Prior of the Second Cohort senior to the Princeps Prior of the Third Chort?) remain moot points. It is interesting (though may or may not be of significance) that centuries seem to have been known by their commander's name, not by a number.
  
  The First Cohort of the Imperial-era only serves to confuse matters, being comprised of five double-strength centuries. However, given their its principal centurion, the Primus Pilum, was the most important it just suggest that the First Cohort was indeed the senior. Camp Prefects (third in command of a legion) seem to have been usually former Primus Pila (not sure is that's the correct plural!), and on retirement a Primus Pilum would continue to hold the rank of 'Primipilaris'.
  
  Hopefully my copy of the Ancient Warfare Magazine special on Roman Centuria should arrive soon, which may have relevant material.

  Link to this forum: Social status of Roman Centurians

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Catigern (U14419012) on Friday, 6th August 2010

  Thanks all for the interesting responses. It looks like there was indeed at least an informal 'fast stream' for the middle classes.
  
  AN's point about promotion from the Praetorians is interesting, in that it will have provided a stream of truly 'Roman' centurians over a period in which army recruitment was increasingly provincialised (just as it was later to become 'barbarised'...).

  Link to this forum: Social status of Roman Centurians

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Friday, 6th August 2010

  The concept of 'Roman' centurions is an interesting one. I wonder to what extent - if any - they were preferred. Obviously service in the legions - rather that the auxilia - required citizen status (though even then there were ways around it if necessary) but I'm inclined to think that beyond that the Romans were pretty egalitarian - so long as you could read, lead and fight they wouldn't care if you were Roman, Gallic, Germanic or plastic!

  Link to this forum: Social status of Roman Centurians

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Triceratops (U3420301) on Saturday, 7th August 2010

  During Augustus's reign the pay of a legionary was 225 denarii per year, for the centuriate the pay scale went from 3750 to 15000 denarii per year according to seniority.According to Grant's "Army of the Caesars" about 20-25% of the Western Army at this time were non Italians from the Romanized areas of Southern Spain and Southern Gaul. The same source has the number of non Italians at 99% by the time Hadrian,95% by the Legio VI link below. [Wiki says 90% during Trajan's time]
  
  A comparison of wages and prices;
  
  Note the increase for a centurion's basic pay from twice that of a legionary in the 2nd century BC,to almost seventeen times that of a legionary at the time of Augustus.
  
  and a link about the legion organisation;
  
  
  "De Bello Gallico" for anyone who wants to read it;
  

  Link to this forum: Social status of Roman Centurians

  Report message7

Back to top