Late Roman Army - seniores and iuniores

[Steven James]

Julian wrote:

Philip: Observe! There is a difference in translation. According to Bachrich and Lane it is the Sixth School. But according to the original Greek (and Latin) it is the Seventh School.

 

Unfortunately, for me, a Seventh School does not disprove that “School” could be referring to a period of time. In his six ages of the world and the creation of the world in seven days, Saint Augustine defines the ages as in the following order:

 

1st Age        1st Day          Infancy (Adam to Noah)

2nd Age       2nd Day         Childhood (Noah to Abraham)

3rd Age        3rd Day          Puberty (Abraham to David)

4th Age        4th Day          Advanced Youth (David to the captivity)

5th Age        5th Day          Captivity to the birth of Jesus

6th Age        6th Day          in its own procession

7th Age        7th Day          Sabbath

 

The only other civilization besides the Hebrews that describes its growth in the life of a man is Rome (Rome’s infancy, Rome’s youth, Rome’s manhood and Rome’s old age), as explained by Florus, Ammianus, and Senaca.

 

In 401 AD, Claudian relates that after cutting open two wolfs that attacked the emperor’s cavalry escort, who at the time was accompanied by the Roman general Stilicho: “In each animal, on its being cut open, was found a human hand, in the stomach of one a left hand, in that of the other a right was discovered, both still twitching, the fingers stretched out and suffused with living blood.”

 

One interpretation of the omen as given by Claudian believed that the might of Roman was to be unimpaired. However, another interpretation believed the portent threatened destruction on Rome and her empire. Claudian goes on to say: “then they reckoned up the years and, cutting off the flight of the twelfth vulture, tried to shorten the centuries of Rome's existence by hastening the end.”

 

Censorinus writes that Rome would be protected by the gods for 1,200 years. Here Claudian highlights the fact that the Romans were acutely aware of the prophecy that the pagan god’s protection over Rome was coming to an end. The 12 vultures (as seen by Romulus) when divided by Censorinus’ 1,200 years produces 12 centuries of 100 years. Claudian appears to be aware that there are a few conflicting dates for Rome’s demise as a man, leaving the possibility the Chronicon Paschale has fixed the sixth school, that is if “school” does in fact represents time, to the emperors Gordianus and Philippus by using another calendar using different period of time and ages.

 

Saint Augustine allocates five of the six ages as having 62 generations.

 

1st Age          Infancy                     10 generations

2nd Age          Childhood                 10 generations

3rd Age          Puberty                     14 generations

4th Age          Advanced Youth      14 generations

5th Age          Captivity                   14 generations

6th Age          Ongoing                     ? generations

 

I think the author of the Chronicon Paschale made have made a mathematical calculation to arrive at emperors Gordianus and Philippus associated with the sixth school instead of the fifth school, presuming that is, that school is associated with time. So basically, one age out.