Tribunus Angusticlavii - the Tres Militae

[Mark Hygate]

A little while ago I was questioning someone's assumption on when a posting as Tribunus Angusticlavii, one of the 5 Equestrian 'Military Staff' appointments to the Legions (as well as finally lerning to spell it correctly!) would be in an Equestrian's career - mainly perhaps as I am an ex-Military man myself and I was applying logic..... :roll:

My assertion was that the Romans adopted (in fact were the real inventors/developers of) classic military rank hierarchies in the, arguably, first truly professional and bureaucratic army (I am therefore thinking of the Imperial, rather than the Republican/Polybius timeframe). Therefore, for the average/standard:

A Patrician towards the beginning of his career, who wanted that 'military shine' on his CV would gain a position as the Tribunus Laticlavii in a legion, ostensibly the second-in-command in terms of rank, but probably (hopefully!) deferring to the Praefectus Castrorum if necessary. Later, after pursuing an early Senatorial path, he may return as the Legatus Legionis.

A Plebeian would join as a soldier and, if suitable and with some education, could hope to advance into the Centurionate and up the well documented ladder of promotion if he was lucky.

Knowing of the 'Tres Militae' (the Equestrian standard path) in theory; I therefore had assumed that: a young Equestrian would get appointed as a Tribunus Angusticlavii first to learn something of the military life, as well as be trained and assessed (no separate training schools existing as far as we know); those who liked the life, and weren't just there to 'punch their ticket' may then go on to command an Auxiliary Cohort(s) and some to the Ala; with a very select few receiving selection to the only two (originally) Praefectus Legionis positions in command of one of the Egyptian Legions in charge of the grain supply.

However, and supported by the epigraphic data I've seen in several scholarly thesis now, it would appear that immediate appointment to an Auxiliary Cohort was first and a legionary Tribunate position was second - ie the reverse to what I thought.

Now, there are always exceptions in any system, but should I assume that all that epigraphic evidence comes from experienced Centurions who are then raised into the Equestrian order by being selected to command an auxiliary unit, because they have the necessary experience (before then returning to a legion to learn the 'Staff stuff')? Could that be leavened by young Equestrians who had already served as Decurions (perhaps in Equites Legionarii) gathering at least some experience?

My overall question is simple - is it credible that a young man of perhaps 20 years of age, with no experience whatsoever, be assigned independent unit command?

Or does my original, logic- and personal experience-based, assumption have any supporting evidence?

[Nathan Ross]

Quite a big subject, but I'll try for a few concise answers at least mile:

A Patrician... would gain a position as the Tribunus Laticlavii in a legion... A Plebeian would join as a soldier and, if suitable and with some education, could hope to advance into the Centurionate

After the middle Republic, patrician and plebian were rather arcane distinctions. The big divide was between the aristocracy (senators and equestrians) and everyone else. Senators served as laticlavius tribunes and legates, equestrians as officers in the tres militiae or as directly-commissioned centurions.

My overall question is simple - is it credible that a young man of perhaps 20 years of age, with no experience whatsoever, be assigned independent unit command?

It may seem incredible to us - but it did indeed happen! The tres militiae was established, probably, by Claudius, and its course is described in a large number of career inscriptions. There were some differences at first - the military tribunate was held after the cavalry position - but by Nero or thereabouts the progressions was set in stone, so to speak: first cohort prefect, then legion tribune, then cavalry prefect.

There are some anomalies - one Trajanic officer transferred from a post as tribune to centurion, which seems like a step backwards... And from the earlier decades there are inscriptions that show a legion tribunate being held by former centurions, after the primipilate. Vettius Valens, Neronian, could have been one of the last known of these men. (Incidentally, the command of legions in Egypt seems to have been the preserve of primipilaris ex centurions, rather than the equestrian officers of the tres militiae)

Why an equestrian would chose to serve as an auxiliary prefect rather than a centurion is, I think, unknown - the future emperor Pertinax tried for a centurion position, but had to settle for cohort prefect. We do know that a centurion (at least, a directly-commissioned one) and a cohort prefect were pretty much on par in terms of seniority, prestige and pay.

So, yes, there were some very young prefects (and some equally young centurions too!). The youngest recorded is Saturius Secundus, son of a Primus Pilus, who died in command of Coh II Asturum aged only 19 (CIL 11, 01437). Several other men died as young prefects: Tiberius Claudius Antoninus (CIL 14, 00162), or Exomnius Mansuetus (AE 1988, 00854), both aged 21, for example. Two men (CIL 06, 01615 and CIL 14, 02429) died aged 24 while applying for or having just been accepted for equestrian military service.

These might seem very young men to be given independent command - but we should remember that Roman equestrians had been bred to command from birth, and may have undergone a sort of military training, albeit more like team sport, in their earlier youth.

But not all equestrian officers started so young. Quintus Atilianus (AE 1979, 00684) died at 31, while Julia Lucilla's husband (CIL 07, 01054) died as tribune of a milliary cohort in Britain aged 48, suggesting he started his tres militiae quite late. Many of these older men probably came to military service after a civil career in provincial or municipal government.

The recorded ages of Military Tribunes jumps considerably - the youngest I could find are C Julius Pudens, who died aged 30 in his second tribunate (CIL 03, 06758), and Titius Proculus (AE 2003, 01530), also 30 and previously a cohort prefect. It's hard to judge with the higher age group whether the man in question was still in active service at the time of death or not - a number of retirees probably distorts the statistics - but there are a couple of tribunes who fell in battle aged around 40, and the oldest recorded legion tribune died aged 53.

As the praefectus alae was the top rung of the officer career (exceeded only by the later militiae quarta, command of a milliary ala), ages at death of recorded cavalry prefects don't tell us much, and none I could find appear to have fallen in battle. Aside from one (Augustan?) 19-year old, cavalry prefects are men in their late thirties right up until their late sixties. This does at least suggest that it was possible for the able or well connected to rise right through the tres militiae before the age of forty, while latecomers could linger on in their (presumably not very strenuous) positions for considerably longer!

- Nathan

[Mark Hygate]

Well, Nathan

Thank you so much for that detailed answer - I must bow to the vagaries of history!

You mention that it might be 'incredible' to us and to me it certainly is - beyond credibility. I really thought the Romans had a much more sensible approach. :wink:

I was certainly more than content that there would be exceptions indeed, both including people who were promoted from Centurion to independent command as a Prefect (and indeed acknowledging that the Legionary Centurionate and the Auxiliary command positions were considered at similar status); let alone the chance of demotion - your Trajanic example perhaps.

What I had been missing in my readings was any age-related information, which you have kindly mentioned - so there it is! It looks as though the related 'purchase of commissions' that I only have to deride from our own military history, is my best example - I just had thought that, whilst it could apply to sub-unit command, wholly independent unit command would have required a bit more experience! Maybe there was another need for the occasionally mentioned 'sub-praefectus' position - similar to Praefectus Castrorum.....

Thanks again.

[Nathan Ross]

I really thought the Romans had a much more sensible approach. :wink:

Yes, but as you imply such a system was not unknown in our recent history - there are plenty of instances in, for example, the 19th century Royal Navy of very young midshipmen (13 or 14) being put in command of boat parties for quite long periods. In a very class-based aristocratic society, an air of authority, impregnable self-importance and a loud voice went a long way!

people who were promoted from Centurion to independent command as a Prefect

Worth mentioning, perhaps, that in an earlier era (up to Claudius) it was possibly common for legion centurions to be placed in command of auxiliary cohorts. This seems to have ended with the establishment of the equestrian militiae. It does happen later too - but such men were given temporary posts as praepositi, often commanding irregular numeri rather than cohorts.

We should also bear in mind that cohorts seldom operated independently in the field - they would be part of an army, with an established military hierarchy to direct the actions of the individual prefects. In this case, the inexperienced commander could take orders from his superiors, and probably tip an ear to the more experienced men or senior centurions under his command as well.

In isolated garrisons, of course, the prefect would have less guidance from above, but I wonder whether running an auxiliary fort in peacetime was so unlike running a Roman household - a matter of checking accounts and giving people orders, plus riding a horse and looking smart - all things that the Roman gentleman had been accustomed to from a young age! :wink:

[Mark Hygate]

..........
Yes, but as you imply such a system was not unknown in our recent history - ...........

Thanks again Nathan - you are entirely correct. In the Midshipman's case however, it was the line I was drawing between 'temporary detached command' as a learning experience; analogous to a 'Centurion/Decurion' level of command, rather than the actual 'unit command', which would have been held by the ship's Captain - a much more experienced individual. A ship which would often have been part of a fleet, but also operating detached itself - as below

Worth mentioning, perhaps, that in an earlier era (up to Claudius) ............

We should also bear in mind that cohorts seldom operated independently in the field - ............

And this was indeed the time I was thinking of. By that time of the Empire the smaller Cohors Quingenaria were becoming more and more used as the basis of garrisons and would indeed have been more independent, although still indeed part of a province's military hierarchy.

I guess I shall just have to bow to the institutional arrogance of the Roman Aristocracy that you noted earlier - obviously enough to be put in charge of auxiliary 'trash'. :roll: However nonsensical it might appear at first glance. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the behaviour of 'our lords and masters', I don' t see that much has changed in 3000 years!