03-13-2006, 05:54 AM
I found this from the Catholic Encyclopedia, explaining who the centurions were and which forces they commanded at the time of Christ :
Of the two centurions mentioned in the Gospels only one was a Roman officer. He who asked Our Savior to cure his servant and whose faith the Savior so highly commended (Matthew 8:5 sq.; Luke 7:2 sq.), though a gentile, belonged to the army of Herod Antipas, since Capharnaum lay in this Prince's territory. The tetrarch's army was probably organized after the manner of the Roman auxiliary troops. The other, who commanded the detachment of soldiers at the Crucifixion (Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39,44, Luke 23:47) was of course an officer of the Imperial cohort stationed at Jerusalem (Acts 21:31). In the Acts two centurions are mentioned by name, Cornelius, centurion of "the Italian band" or cohort, the first gentile admitted into the Church (Acts 10:1 sq.) and Julius, centurion of the "band Augusta", who brought St. Paul to Rome (Acts 27:1, etc.). Others are spoken of in connection with the Apostle's arrest and transfer to Caesarea (Acts 21:32, 22:25, 23:23). Since no legion was stationed in Palestine before the time of Vespasian, these centurions all belonged to auxiliary cohorts. For this reason it was unlikely that either Cornelius or Julius was a member of the patrician family whose name he bore; both were probably the sons of freedmen.
Of the two centurions mentioned in the Gospels only one was a Roman officer. He who asked Our Savior to cure his servant and whose faith the Savior so highly commended (Matthew 8:5 sq.; Luke 7:2 sq.), though a gentile, belonged to the army of Herod Antipas, since Capharnaum lay in this Prince's territory. The tetrarch's army was probably organized after the manner of the Roman auxiliary troops. The other, who commanded the detachment of soldiers at the Crucifixion (Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39,44, Luke 23:47) was of course an officer of the Imperial cohort stationed at Jerusalem (Acts 21:31). In the Acts two centurions are mentioned by name, Cornelius, centurion of "the Italian band" or cohort, the first gentile admitted into the Church (Acts 10:1 sq.) and Julius, centurion of the "band Augusta", who brought St. Paul to Rome (Acts 27:1, etc.). Others are spoken of in connection with the Apostle's arrest and transfer to Caesarea (Acts 21:32, 22:25, 23:23). Since no legion was stationed in Palestine before the time of Vespasian, these centurions all belonged to auxiliary cohorts. For this reason it was unlikely that either Cornelius or Julius was a member of the patrician family whose name he bore; both were probably the sons of freedmen.
Jaime
