Military Tribunes and their significance

[D B Campbell]

I thought I'd briefly resuscitate this topic ...

Apologies for prolonging the thread, but you've raised quite an interesting topic, Nathan.
For the senatorial tribunate, the question of length of service should actually be quite logical. Every year, twenty young men embarked on a senatorial career, and every year roughly 28 legions (excluding the units in Egypt) required a senatorial tribune.
Even excluding the fact that some senators got away without any military service at all, it appears that many men must have spent more than a year as a tribune.

I haven't seen the study by W. Peeters (Het militaire tribunaat der laticlavii in het Vroeg-Romeinse Keizerrijk, Leuven 1984), but it probably wouldn't mean much to me, anyway! (Not good on Dutch, I'm afraid.)

[tlclark]

So the term of service is surely flexible but much shorter for a laticlavi than for an equestrian tribune?

What about wages/compensation? In theory, a tribune of either class would be expected to provide for much of his own outfitting, correct?

Travis

[Nathan Ross]

Even excluding the fact that some senators got away without any military service at all, it appears that many men must have spent more than a year as a tribune.

I'd go along with that, yes. Assuming that most young men aiming for the senate would first gain membership of the vigintivirate - held at around age 18, I believe - and that by 24 or so they would need to be preparing to run for Quaestor, that leaves about 4 years of potential military service - however, for the senatorial class, military service would not be seen as a career, and to spend too long away with the legions might be seen as neglecting the more pressing duties and responsibilities of the respectable (prospective) senator - i.e making lengthy rhetorical speeches in the Forum to impress ones peers, supporting ones clients and generally being seen about the place cultivating ones gravitas. With this in mind, I doubt that many laticlavii tribunes would have served for more than a couple of years at most.

What about wages/compensation? In theory, a tribune of either class would be expected to provide for much of his own outfitting, correct?

The pay issue is an interesting one as well. Senatorial tribunes were probably not paid, as their service was regarded as an honour and they were expected to support themselves. They weren't paid for any of their other offices - quite the opposite, in fact. (One of the advantages of having a very wealthy young man as laticlavius tribune might have been the possibility of squeezing him for donations!)

Equestrian officers, however, certainly were paid - they were career soldiers. How much they were paid, though, I have been unable to discover. Juvenal makes reference in one of his satires to 'the annual pay of a military tribune' as being quite a large sum - presumably, therefore, they were paid more than a primus pilus centurion, since these men could in theory move on to become equestrian officers at the lowest level. I estimate (after some quick sums!) that a primus pilus under Domitian would have earned about 72,000 sesterces/annum (1200HS basic legionary pay x 60) - presumably, then, a cohort prefect would be paid more than that and a tribune more again.

However - there are many cases of equestrians moving from the upper rank of the tres militiae (cavalry prefect) to the lower rank of the civilian procuratorship, the sexegenarii - but a sexegenarii procurator was paid 60,000HS/annum - less than a primus pilus! It could well be that my figures are well out, but this does seem a little curious.

It could be, of course, that above a certain point officer's pay was more of a cash bonus than an intended living wage (in the sense that a centurion's would be)... I'm fairly sure that I'm grossly misunderstanding something or other :? , but if anybody has any thoughts (or more solid information) I'd be most interested.

- Nathan

[Nathan Ross]

The Juvenal quote, incidentally, is this one, from the Third Satire:

Here in Rome the son of free-born parents has to give the wall to some rich man's slave; for that other will give as much as the whole pay of a legionary tribune to enjoy the chance favours of a Calvina or a Catiena, while you, when the face of some gay-decked harlot takes your fancy, scarce venture to hand Chione down from her lofty chair.

(It occurs to me this might be Juvenalian irony - the pay of a tribune being in this case nothing, and the freedman enjoying the 'chance favours' for free! - I suspect, however, that it could more obviously represent a lot of money...)

- Nathan

[D B Campbell]

In theory, a tribune of either class would be expected to provide for much of his own outfitting, correct?

Absolutely, Travis. But remember -- the laticlavius was the son of a millionaire/billionaire, aspiring to the same status. The equestrian tribune was fairly well-off, too -- in order to qualify as an equestrian (which, unlike the senatorial status, wasn't necessarily hereditary) he had to have the property qualification of 400,000 sesterces, so he wasn't exactly on the bread line.

Equestrian officers, however, certainly were paid

The pay issue is an interesting one, but there are no hard facts (afaik -- the relevant literature would be by Hubert Devijver, and I've already admitted my lack of Dutch!).

Brian Dobson has proposed that the equestrian tribune drew double the pay of the legionary centurion, and that the praefectus cohortis (being the equestrian's first post, before becoming tribune) drew the same pay as the legionary centurion.

He further suggests that the centurion was paid 5 times the Praetorian rate (which, for the reign of Domitian, he calculates as 4,000 sesterces), giving 20,000 sesterces.

You'll see that this is fairly conjectural. Basically, it means that the equestrian tribune was paid 40,000 sesterces, and could then be promoted to a sexagenarian post (praefectus alae quingenariae), and then to a centenarian post (praefectus alae miliariae).
Meanwhile, for the career centurion, the primipilaris was then on a par with the equestrian as they moved into the upper prefectures.

Dobson's argument is set out in Ancient Society 3 (1972), 193ff.
(Maybe our Dutch colleagues know of something more up-to-date?)

[Praefectusclassis]

I think Devijver wrote most of his stuff in German or English, but if you have any Dutch articles, I'd be happy to go have a look.

[sicarii sam]

I do recall situations where centurions of equestrian rank were offered tribune rank. probably very rare but as mentioned above, there were senatorial brats that stayed on for a year or two to look good on the resume but the other five were career soldiers.

[Caius Fabius]

But by mid-first century AD, equestrian tribunes *start* their military careers as independent commanders of auxiliary cohorts. Those that don't get eaten by their men then go on to be legionary tribunes. I don't recall which modern writer suggested it, but I'm convinced that each of a legion's equestrian tribunes was a field commander, in charge of two cohorts. Five guys, ten cohorts--makes sense to me.

I just read this again, shudder, because I found it in Dando-Collins. Of course, he is the 'Terry Jones' of Roman Military History, so I don't put much faith in his broad assertions, leaps of intuition and rearranging of historical facts. Maybe he should be writing for Hollywood, but the way people keep quoting him as if he were a serious historian, he'll probably end up on the BBC. :roll:

[D B Campbell]

At times [tribunes] seem to be window-dressing at other times they are significant officers. ... Particularly post-marius and early empire, what was the purpose or duities of a tribune?

Travis: I'd be interested to see the bits where Josephus represents tribunes as "window dressing" vis-a-vis the bits where they're significant officers. Can you remember the references?

I'm convinced that each of a legion's equestrian tribunes was a field commander, in charge of two cohorts.

You raise an interesting point, Matthew.

Tribunes are often found in command of vexillations, which makes them "field commanders" in your terms.

E.g. As tr(ibunus) mil(itum) leg(ionum) VII Cl(audiae) p(iae f(idelis), C. Valerius Rufus was "sent with a vexillation by the emperor ... Trajan ... on the expedition to Cyprus" (ILS 9491).

E.g. As trib(unus) milit(um) leg(ionis) I Italicae, Tib. Plautius Felix Ferruntianus first commanded vexillations (plural) in the Tauric Chersonese, then commanded a vexillation of III Augusta in the Marcommanic Wars (ILS 2747).

E.g. As trib(unus) mil(itum) leg(ionis) II Aug(ustae), Tib. Claudius Candidus was put in charge of "forces for the second German expedition" of Marcus and Commodus (ILS 1140).

Etc.

[tlclark]

At times [tribunes] seem to be window-dressing at other times they are significant officers. ... Particularly post-marius and early empire, what was the purpose or duities of a tribune?

Travis: I'd be interested to see the bits where Josephus represents tribunes as "window dressing" vis-a-vis the bits where they're significant officers. Can you remember the references?

Well he never comes out and says "This tribune was window-dressing" I was speaking generally of my impressions, after having read it again. I'll have to dig up some specific quotes, but on many occassions he gives credit to individuals and as often as not, the initiative is coming from lower ranks, not tribunes. In fact, Josephus talks about Titus's motivations, some of the men's motivations and not much else. Occasionally a tribune shows up but the record is mostly silent on their role, presumably because they were not that critical but that could be my assumption. That's why I asked.

Travis

[Matthew Amt]

I just read this again, shudder, because I found it in Dando-Collins.

Eek, no, it wasn't him! At least, I haven't read anything by him that I know of. No, it was something I remember reading a while back, though at this point I couldn't even tell you if it was a real book or a web article of some sort. (I don't *think* it was just discussion on a web board!)

Thanks Mr. Campbell for turning up some evidence!

Matthew

[D B Campbell]

Occasionally a tribune shows up but the record is mostly silent on their role, presumably because they were not that critical but that could be my assumption.

Evidently, not all tribunes were lazy good-for-nothings:

AE 1934, 2: C(aio) Caelio C(ai) / fil(io) Ouf(entina) Martiali praef(ecto) / coh(ortis) I Raetorum quae tendit / in Raetia trib(uno) leg(ionis) XIII Gem(ina) quae / tendit in Dacia in quo tribunatu / donis militaribus donatus est / ab Imp(eratore) Caesare Nerva Traiano / Aug(usto) Germanico Dacico et copiarum / curam adiuvit secunda expedition[e] / qua universa Dacia devicta est / proc(uratori) provinc(iae) Achaiae proc(uratori) ferrari[ar(um)] / [L(ucius) Gel]lius Menander amicus

"Gaius Caelius Martial, son of Gaius, of the Oufentina voting tribe, prefect of the Cohors I Raetorum, which is encamped in Raetia, tribune of the Legio XIII Gemina, which is encamped in Dacia, during which tribuneship he was awarded military decorations by the Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus Germanicus Dacicus [i.e., Trajan], and took care of provisions in the second campaign when all of Dacia was conquered, [then] procurator of the province of Achaia, [and] procurator of the iron-mines. His friend Lucius Gellius Menander [set this up]."

I suppose it's easier to be busy during wartime.

[Theodosius the Great]

You raise an interesting point, Matthew.

Tribunes are often found in command of vexillations, which makes them "field commanders" in your terms.

I was going to ask about this because according to Ross Cowan a vexillation made up of one or two cohorts were under the command of an officer with the title "praepositus." By "officer" I assumed this meant "Tribune." So, a Tribune was redesignated as a Praepositus, I gather.

Well, with the rising use of vexillations from the late 1st century AD onward, equestrian Tribunes played an increasingly crucial role it seems.

BTW, I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Praetorian Guard. They were organized into cohorts (not legions) and of course the Tribunes would command one or two cohorts. Since Domitian, Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius all used the Guardsmen in their campaigns their Tribunes were also put to good use.


Theo

[D B Campbell]

a vexillation made up of one or two cohorts were under the command of an officer with the title "praepositus." By "officer" I assumed this meant "Tribune." So, a Tribune was redesignated as a Praepositus, I gather.

Praepositus was not a rank. It was just how the Romans described being put in charge of something temporarily.

A.H.M. Jones summed this up (in The Later Roman Empire, p. 640): "Praepositus appears to have been strictly the title of a post, and not a rank: an officer might hold the rank of tribune or prefect, and be described as praepositus, or 'officer commanding', a given unit."

The example of L. Antonius Naso (ILS 9199) is interesting. He describes himself, during the Civil War of AD69/70, as [trib(unus Coh(ortis)] I Praet(oriae) et pra[ep]ositus supra [vetera]nos Romae m[o]rantium [pluriu]m exercituum ("tribune of the First Praetorian Cohort and officer in charge of the veterans of several armies based in Rome").

Incidentally, the inscription also demonstrates the principle of one cohort, one tribune. Naso had previously (presumably in AD 69, according to Tacitus, Hist. 1.20) been trib(unus) coh(ortis) IX Praet(oriae) ("tribune of the Ninth Praetorian Cohort").

with the rising use of vexillations from the late 1st century AD onward, equestrian Tribunes played an increasingly crucial role it seems.

Equestrian tribunes were not the only guys who could command vexillations. Legionary centurions (and ex-centurions) are often found in this role; e.g. ILS 9120 (altar to Hercules), set up by vexillari(i) le(gionis) XXI Ra(pacis) et auxilia eorum c(o)hortes V, qui sunt sub L. Pompeio Secundo (centurione) le(gionis) XXI ("the five cohorts of vexillarii from Legion XXI Rapax and its auxiliaries, under L. Pompeius Secundus, centurion of Legion XXI").

[Peroni]

The volunteer citizen auxiliary cohorts (Cohortes civium Romanorum Voluntariorum) were also commanded by a Tribunus, as opposed to a Praefectus seen in the provincial cohorts.

This possibly has something to do with the will of Augustus leaving a donative to these particular units, raising the pay levels up to the level of the legions.