Speculator

[Arminius Primus]

Ave Fratres,

Ran the RAT search function on 'Speculator"...... as always with technology , I got a lot of information but not exactly what I was looking for. My guess is that there is probably a Speculator expert somewhere within the RAT community.

OK , here goes! How were the Speculatores armed and uniformed. My belief is that they served in a mounted function , so would they have looked more like a trooper from a cavalry Ala?

Would they have cavalry type weapons or a standard gladius?

Since they had a scouting and tactical intelligence reporting function would they look more like an armed civilian....or am I confusing that function with the Frumentarius?

Does any of our recreated Legions field a Speculator? If so how do you portray him?

Any help here greatly appreciated, as always references appreciated, German and English are ok . Our school latin can carry us a bit but not far.

Regards from a very stormy Balkans, The Lightning strikes have played Hob with our computer systems and my office windows leak. But other than that .........

Regards from Scupi, Arminius Primus aka Al

[D B Campbell]

My belief is that they served in a mounted function , so would they have looked more like a trooper from a cavalry Ala?

Well, Von Domaszewski reckoned that every legatus Augusti pro praetore (provincial governor) drew 10 speculatores from each of his legions (e.g. the schola speculatorum of legions I and II Adiutrix lists 20 names: ILS 2375), so it looks as if they'd be equipped as legionaries.

(See Von Domaszewski, p. 32. Also, Cagnat in Daremberg & Saglio.)

[garrelt]

Speculator and Exploratores are both words for a person having the function off a scout.
What does a scout do ?
His main task will be gathering information.
So he does not want to be compromised (seen).
Also he wants to be in and out off area fast.
So he will not be wearing armour, because it is heavy, makes a lot off noise and if highly polished you will be seen for miles away.
He and his horse will be carrying basic equipment.

I based my reconstruction on the gravestone off which the picture you can see at the following page at our site.
http://home.kpn.nl/creij006/pages/e/auxilia.htm
I will see if I can get hold off the book, in which this gravestone is published.

[D B Campbell]

Speculator and Exploratores are both words for a person having the function off a scout.

I think you are mistaken, my friend. You have a lovely reconstruction of an explorator, but he is not a speculator!

[garrelt]

Thanks for pointing this out.
But then my question would be: what is the main difference between the two.

[D B Campbell]

But then my question would be: what is the main difference between the two.

Speculatores appear to have been soldiers who could be trusted as official couriers and messengers. Provincial governors needed to communicate with the emperor and the imperial bureaucracy at Rome, and it seems that the speculatores were the agents of this communication.

Quite why they were occasionally employed as executioners or assassins is not clear. Perhaps their freedom to travel simply afforded them the opportunity. If emperors were accompanied by Praetorians and speculatores (as, for example, Otho: Tac., Hist. 2.33), the former were surely for protection, and the latter to act as messengers (though no ancient source, to my knowledge, explains this).

Exploratores, by contrast, were scouts, and seem normally to have operated in units alongside the auxilia, in contrast to the individual speculatores drawn from the legions.

[garrelt]

So in general:
Exoploratores => Auxilia-cavalry , or could it also be auxilia infantry?
Uniform could be anything because it could also be a local/allied assigned to the auxilia/army for the duration of a campaign.
That they not only looked for a possibly enemy army,screening the army , but also looked for a good place for putting up a camp or to hunt or where to get forage is known to me.
Working in small (2 man) teams?
Information gathering outside the auxilia/legion/army

Speculatores=> Legion (infantry)
Dressed and equiped as an average legionair.
In service of a commander/provincial governor/emperor.
Working alone.
Information gathering within the auxilia/legion/army for possible political opponents, mutiny, etc.
You could say that they where the Roman army secret service.
That could give you something to think about.

Or am I seeing ghosts here? :twisted:

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

As some of the speculatores were missengers, they belong too to the cursus publicus. For easy of movement, probably the messengers lacks armour. At our group we have recreated one of these speculatores, without armour and shield, but armed with a spatha:

[Arminius Primus]

Ave Fratres,

The discussion is getting interesting now. Excellent point about the ease of movement and the lack of armor, but was there then something else that identified that individual as a speculator. Was a special pouch used for carrying the dispatches? Since he was in army clothing did that alone mark him as different from the normal civil service couriers?

Regards from a very Stormy Balkans, another large storm building over the mountains today.

Arminius Primus , aka Al

[D B Campbell]

... different from the normal civil service couriers?

The speculatores and beneficiarii are the normal civil service couriers (insofar as a "civil service" existed)!

[hansvl]

Speculatores=> Legion (infantry)
Dressed and equiped as an average legionair.
In service of a commander/provincial governor/emperor.
Working alone.
Information gathering within the auxilia/legion/army for possible political opponents, mutiny, etc.
You could say that they where the Roman army secret service.
That could give you something to think about.

Or am I seeing ghosts here? :twisted:

Don't forget that the praetorian guard had speculatores too. In the first century AD they seemed to form a numerus on their own (300 strong).

Greets,

Hans

[Arminius Primus]

Ave Fratres,


OK, maybe...... I am starting to understand the role of the speculator. His operational area had two roles overt and covert; Overt role as messenger / courier of special category messages (Senior commanders, governors , etc) Covert role as information gatherer, internal security monitor, security adviser in the provinces, special security missions.

The equipment would then vary to the role that was portrayed, Such as the overt role excellently portrayed by our brothers in Spain. In the covert role he would appear as any other miles / centurion / optio etc. (depending on the type of information to be gathered). Guessing here but probably full dress kit in the provinces to overawe the locals.

I don't think Garrelt is seeing Ghosts here, as I think that part of the Speculator mission was well into the "dark side of the force".

Regards from a very rainy and wet Balkans, Arminius Primus aka Al

[Graham Sumner]

but was there then something else that identified that individual as a speculator.

Hi

The second century writer Tertullian describes how a soldier who was accused of being a Christian was stripped of his military equipment until he was left clad only in red (cloak or tunic perhaps, it is not clear which). He adds that he also wore caliga speculatoria which suggests this soldier was a speculator and that they wore a special type of boot.

However before you ask the next question I have no idea what they would look like!

Tertullian. De Corona Militis, 1.3

Graham.

[D B Campbell]

... He adds that he also wore caliga speculatoria which suggests this soldier was a speculator and that they wore a special type of boot.

Felt soles for tiptoeing around quietly?

[Arminius Primus]

Ave Fratres,

Knowing that they had unique boots gives me a whole new line of investigation. I can look at the gravestone data bases and ask the museum types in the Balkans about this. This puts another piece to the puzzle. This is the kind of info you can only get from the RAT community.



Plus,...... maybe we have a Roman antecedent for the fine old American appellation " gumshoe " for someone in the investigative career field.....as was pointed out !!


More clouds building in the mountains, looks to be a stormy night. OBTW I taped my office windows with American Duct tape,....now we will see if the water gets in....

Regards from the Balkans, Arminius Primus aka Al