Quote:
The problem with a Legatus is that historically he's comissioned by the Government, and would have to have some sort of Senatorial or Council ties/ancestry. If he's supposed to be worked up from the ranks in the army itself, he'd probably be a Praefectus Castrorum (Prefect/Camp prefect, still a very high ranker, though).
Salve,
consider, though, that the most obscure equestrian from the farthest
provincia, could attain senatorial rank by means of a
commendatio principis , a direct order of the emperor.
Right aquaintances and ties would help in this, a good career (particularly in the army) and proven loyalty to the emperor too: birth was not all.
Vespasian was an equestrian by birth, no senatorial ancestors, and followed an equstrian career in the army till the tribunate: then he had the uncommon chance of starting senatorial
cursus honorum and finally became emperor.
This principle could apply to the "Gladiator" as well, provided his family had earned enough to qualify for equestrian rank, but I guess this also could be easily by-passed with emperor's favour - and we must also remember that equestrian rank could also be directly attained through the primipilate.
Also,
gens Ulpia in Spain (their origins were italian) was not originally of senatorial rank (not even equestrian): gradually, they qualified for equestrian rank, and before Trajan's father's generation, they had attained senatorial rank through their relationships and service.
As for the term "general", during the principate the governor of an imperial province was also commander of the legionary armed force there (senatorial provinces had no legionary garrison) : in imperial provinces with one legion, the
legatus legionis was also governor; in imperial provinces with more than one legions (two or three), governor (
legatus Augusti) had also overall command of this legionary garrison.
When specific campaigns had to be prepared involving even more legions, one overall commander could be appointed.
I would apply the term "general" to the 2 latter figures.
Two interesting references for equestrians :
H. Hill "'Equites' of Senatorial Rank"
in The Classical Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan., 1929), pp. 33-36
P. A. Brunt: "Princeps and Equites"
in The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 73, 1983 (1983), pp. 42-75
For Gens Ulpia:
Bennett, "Trajan Optimus Princeps", 2000
Valete