Legionary Officers and NCOs - Late Roman Army (284 - 565 AD)

[Nathan Ross]

Do you know where I can find it?

AE 1989, 00641 = AE 1990, 00866 Moesia inferior Harsova / Carsium

D(is) M(anibus) / b(ene) m(erentibus) Castae quae / vixit an(num) I d(ies) V et / Reginae quae vixit / ann(os) VII mens(es) V dies / XVIII filiabus dul/cissimis Val(erius) Castus / centur(io) ord(inarius) leg(ionis) I Iov(iae) / Scyt(hicae) una cum Val(erio) / Valeriano centen(ario) so/cero suo posuit

(roughly: " To the gods below, in deserved memory of Casta, who lived one year five days, and Regina, who lived seven years, five months and eighteen days, the dear daughters of Valerius Castus, centurio ordinarius of Legion I Jovia Scythica, who together with Valerius Valerianus the centenarius, his father-in-law, set this up with his own money ")

I've quoted this one in previous threads, as I thought it might be evidence that the ordinarius and centenarius both served in the tetrarchic legions. However, it would an anomaly if so, and it's not explicit that Valerianus was in the legion of his son-in-law. Centenarius in this case could be an honorific title.

However, the legion is called Iovia, so we know it must be post-Diocletian. Probably not that much post- though! They're still pagans, after all...

Do we know for certain a century after 325 AD had one hundred men?

We don't know anything much for certain! Robert's source states 80 men, P-Hyginus said 80 men back in the 2nd (?) century. Beyond that there's not much. Janniard reckoned the legions were 'decimalised', which might explain the decanus and centenarius, but this is just supposition. Vegetius's estimates of numbers might be based on an over-literal interpretation of the names - or perhaps not!...