Promotion of Optios

[Iosephus Augustus]

Promotion of OPTIOS to CENTURION was based upon vacancies. Were OPTIOS ranked by seniority with the most senior being assigned to the 1st Century of the 1st Cohort? Were they promoted into the first vacancy regardless of Century or Cohort? Or were they promoted into vacancies occurring only within their respective Cohort?

If an OPTIO was promoted, could his existing vacancy then be filled by a worthy candidate from another Century or did it have to be filled with a candidate from within his century?

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

I think the optio was tried within his century by the centurio itself. As it was a personal option, probably the centurio aply his preferences for searching one of his men: seniority, bravery, etc...
In fact the word optio (plural: optiones) in latin means "the tried", or "the option".

[Quintius Clavus]

The term/title for an optio on the promotion "list" for the next centurion vacancy was "optio ad spem ordinis".

[Iosephus Augustus]

I think the optio was tried within his century by the centurio itself. As it was a personal option, probably the centurio aply his preferences for searching one of his men: seniority, bravery, etc...
In fact the word optio (plural: optiones) in latin means "the tried", or "the option".

So you're saying that vacancies for OPTIO were filled from within the century by selection of the Centurion. Makes sense. He would best know who he would want as second-in-command.

[Crispvs]

I am not sure how much we really know about this. Certainly the word 'optio' (chosen) indicates that at some stage they were chosen by the centurio (presumably) but how long did that last, before a different or more formalised system of appointment came into play? The very fact that two (I think) optiones are described on their stelae as 'optio ad spem' suggests that some sort of test or qualification existed to qualify optiones to move up to the centurionate when a position became available. Could this not also have been the case for optio positions?
After all, in the 'Polybian' army, the century chose its own centuriones, but this was not the case by the time of the 1st century AD as far as we know. The same may have applied to optiones.

Crispvs

[Iosephus Augustus]

If indeed there was a system ranking optios on the basis of seniority as there appears to have existed, then it would seem to me to be most likely that the senior optio would have been appointed to the very next centurion opening. That would be consistant with military practice. One would suppose that extraordinary heroism in the face of the enemy and exemplary leadership in the absence of the centurion could also lead to elevation to the centuriate, bypassing the seniority system. I can't find any information to support my supposition but I would hazard that this appointment would have been made by the legate based on the recommendation of the prefect. This would be similar to the modern practice for battlefield commissions followed by the US Army during WWII/Korea: Recommendation by the Regimental Commander to the Division Commander. Probably the same process in most modern armies.

[Marcus Mummius]

When doing a career in the Praetorian cohorts the step after optio seems to have been becoming a standardbearer... So there the term 'optio' does not mean 'chosen by the centurio to be his sucessor'.

Vale,

[D B Campbell]

It's pretty complicated. Lucius Valerius Proclus (ILS 2666b) was optio ad spem ordinis prior to his succession of centurionates. Similarly, Marcus Sabidius Maximus (AE 1937, 101) was optio ad spem ordinis (after duties as signifer and cornicularius) prior to his succession of centurionates. But [--]ovius Peregrinus (CIL V 7004) was just plain optio before his centurionate.

It seems that many (most?) centurions previously served as optiones, but not necessarily immediately before becoming centurion.

Ulpius Amandianus (ILS 4311), for example, served as optio at the end of a string of posts: librarius, custos armorum, signifer, optio. But we shouldn't assume that this was the only career path. For Marcus Petronius Fortunatus (ILS 2658), it wasn't optio that was the jumping-off point, but signifer: librarius, tesserarius, optio, signifer, centurio. Similarly, Aurelius Marius (CIL III, 1124), Marcus Ulpius Flavinus (CIL III, 1202) and Lucius Porcius Karus (CIL XII, 2929) all served as optio, then signifer; presumably, centurion would have been the next step.

[Marcus Mummius]

It's pretty complicated. Lucius Valerius Proclus (ILS 2666b) was optio ad spem ordinis prior to his succession of centurionates. Similarly, Marcus Sabidius Maximus (AE 1937, 101) was optio ad spem ordinis (after duties as signifer and cornicularius) prior to his succession of centurionates. But [--]ovius Peregrinus (CIL V 7004) was just plain optio before his centurionate.

It seems that many (most?) centurions previously served as optiones, but not necessarily immediately before becoming centurion.

Ulpius Amandianus (ILS 4311), for example, served as optio at the end of a string of posts: librarius, custos armorum, signifer, optio. But we shouldn't assume that this was the only career path. For Marcus Petronius Fortunatus (ILS 2658), it wasn't optio that was the jumping-off point, but signifer: librarius, tesserarius, optio, signifer, centurio. Similarly, Aurelius Marius (CIL III, 1124), Marcus Ulpius Flavinus (CIL III, 1202) and Lucius Porcius Karus (CIL XII, 2929) all served as optio, then signifer; presumably, centurion would have been the next step.

Thanks for giving that list. That's what I meant but I din't have time to put down the data. Are all the ones who went from optio to another function than centurio praetorians? Or do we have proof that this could happen in the legions too?

I feel there is a lot to it that we don't know and will probably never know.