crime investigation

[Anonymous]

Hi<br>
<br>
I was wondering if anyone could tell me who would be responsible for investigating a crime such as the murder of a centurion in an auxiliary cohort stationed at Hadrian's Wall? Would there be a particular person or rank responsible for it? Or would the fort's commanding officer take charge or assign whomever he wanted to do the job?<br>
<br>
Aelyn <p></p><i></i>

[John Maddox Roberts]

You might want to read my novel SPQR VI: NOBODY LOVES A CENTURION. It involves the murder of a primus pilus in Caesar's army at the outset of the Gallic War. In it, the investigator is, naturally, my series character, Metellus. In real life, during the Republic, a praetor would appoint a iudex to investigate a crime. Since even during the principate proconsuls were magistrates, I imagine one would follow a similar procedure in a military context. Romans didn't make the distinctions between civil and military offices that we do. Maybe someone out there has more specialized knowledge. <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Thanks much. I will look into getting your book. I'm not sure it's available in Canada at the moment, but with the internet I guess that's no longer a problem.<br>
<br>
Aelyn <p></p><i></i>

[Guest]

Salve,<br>
<br>
Military personnel would in the imperial army always be tried in a military court. Judicial tasks were part of the normal activities for officers, both centurionate and above.<br>
<br>
Some publications of interest:<br>
<br>
Campbell, B., <i> The emperor and the Roman army 31BC-AD235</i> (Oxford 1984) 468p.<br>
Davies, R., <i> Service in the Roman army</i> (Edinburgh 1989) 336p.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=sandervandorst>Sander van Dorst</A> at: 9/13/02 8:17:13 pm<br></i>

[Anonymous]

Especially Davies' article about crime investigations by centurions as known to us by papyri. It seems that centurions (the " so called centuriones regionarii"?) could have a special police tasks. And what about the beneficiarii?<br>
<br>
Ursinius <p></p><i></i>

[Guest]

Salve,<br>
<br>
Various types of soldiers were at one time or another involved with law enforcement, though this was in many cases next to other tasks. It seems that to some extent expediency governed use of particular troops rather than a single universal approach. <i> Beneficiarii</i> could be involved in police duties, but they performed various other tasks as well. The handling of legal cases would not be limited to a <i> centurio regionarius</i> / <i> epi toon topoon</i>, but could also be among the tasks of other centurions (eg Juvenalis <i> Satura</i> 16).<br>
<br>
On <i> beneficiarii</i>:<br>
<br>
Austin, N.J.E. and N.B. Rankov, <i> Exploratio. Military intelligence in the Roman world from the second Punic war to the battle of Adrianople</i> (London<br>
1995) 292p.<br>
Dise, R.L., 'The beneficarii procuratoris of Celeia and the development of the statio network' in: <i> ZPE</i> 113 (1996), 286-292.<br>
Dise, R.L., 'Variation in Roman administrative practice: the assignments of beneficiarii consularis' in: <i> ZPE</i> 116 (1997), 284-299.<br>
Ott, J., <i> Die Beneficiarier</i> (Stuttgart 1995) 222p.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>

[rekirts]

Thank you all for the help. My original idea was to have a centurion investigate the crime, and it seems that will work--if I ever actually write the story. I don't have to worry about a trial because the plot I have in mind won't include a trial.<br>
<br>
Wendy <p></p><i></i>