01-04-2017, 04:50 PM
No, there was no long standing unit of professional elite soldiers. However, a Republican period Consul (pre-Social War) had not only two Roman legions but he also had two equivalent sized units of Latin and Italian Socii, armed and organized identically to how the Romans themselves were used. Out of the total, 1/5 of the Socii infantry were organized into a force of elite units that reported directly to the Consul, these were the Extraordinaire. They held the far right of the infantry line, the position of honor. They marched in the vanguard. I think the point was to throw a bone to the Socii to show that Romans appreciated their commitment and loyalty, because it seems that for the entire mid-Late Republic the Roman generals would have put more trust in Socii than their own countrymen. However, these Extraordinaire were not units that were long standing, they came and went with every army that was levied and then discharged.
Though many will say that the long standing, professional armies were a reform by Marius, that simply wasn't true. He commanded three separate armies during his day:
- The army initially raised to fight the Jugurthine War was levied by the consul L. Calpurnius Bestia in 111 BC. That army was reinforced by a supplementum by the consul Caecilius Metellus in 109 BC, and then reinforced again by another supplementum by Marius in 107 BC. It finished the war in 105 BC, marched in the Triumph on the New Year of 104 BC, and then was discharged. Its veterans received land grants in Africa and some offshore islands of Africa in 103 BC through a plebicide enacted by a tribune allied to Marius.
- The army that Marius would use to crush the Cimbri and Teutones was levied in 105 BC by P. Rutilius Rufus. Marius became consul in 104 BC and took command of it, it was better trained than his own African army, more highly disciplined. In addition Marius appears to have added another legion, maybe two, of the survivors of Arausio, but its unclear exactly how that worked, only one source mentions them. This army staged in Transalpine Gaul from 104-102 BC waiting for the Cimbri Horde to return and then defeated the Ambrone and Teutones in 102 BC, then defeated (in junction with Q. Lutatius Catulus' army) the Cimbri in 101 BC. They marched in a Triumph in late 101 BC and then were discharged. The veterans of which were heavily involved in the political turmoil of 100 BC, which culminated in the Saturninus Affair. Prior to his death the tribune was able to pass a law bestowing land grants on Marius' veterans in Italian Gaul and elsewhere (though these might have later been revoked, along with all laws of Saturninus, deemed nul).
- During the Social War Marius initially served as legate to an army raised by the Consul P. Rutilius Lupus. Lupus and part of his army were killed at the battle of the River Tolenus in 88 BC. Marius saved the army, defeated the Marsi in a brilliant counterstroke, then himself fell from some serious illness immediately after. This army would later be given to Gn. Pompeius Strabo and then discharged after the Social War ended.
The same would have applied to Socii cohorts raised during this period, they too would have been discharged when the Romans were too. They just didn't get the land grants the Roman soldiers did under Marius. As you can see, no long standing legions.
It appears that the legions became more professionalized and long standing not in active war theaters (those were usually consular legions that would be levied and often discharged after victory) but instead during arduous and long term garrison duties. Garrison legions in spain, in Sicily, in Macedonia (fighting Thracian invaders and putting down local rebellions), Greece, and Asia would have likely seen consular and praetorian legions initially levied with supplementums ordered every few years to keep them at full strength for a six year period (which seems to have been the longest a legion would typically serve during the Late Republic, besides national emergencies).
Sulla's legions were pretty long standing. They were initially raised during the Social War, he used them at Nola, then were kept under the standards (probably because he got along well with him) and used during the Mithridatic Wars, then used after during the Civil War, before Sulla discharged them with land grants during his dictatorship. Pompey's later armies would have been similar. He raised numerous legions of clients, inherited other legions from Sulla or other commanders, and then used them in Spain against Sertorius and later in his campaign against the pirates and then while conquering the East. In the end, he discharged this army when he became Consul (with Crassus) and set them up with land grants largely in the East.
Caesar's initial four legions were likely recruited by a previous consul of Transalpine Gaul, Caesar definitely didn't do it himself. They fought for ten years under him and were likely supposed to be discharged but the Civil War interceded and that was delayed. The massive bonuses that Caesar gave to his soldiers was in my opinion the result of keeping the legions together after their 16 year service obligation was up (it wasn't 20 years until Augustus). If you actually look at the time period many of his legions mutinied it coincides with when the legion itself would have hit their 16 year mark under the standards. Minus MAJOR donatives they no longer had any obligation to serve.
Though many will say that the long standing, professional armies were a reform by Marius, that simply wasn't true. He commanded three separate armies during his day:
- The army initially raised to fight the Jugurthine War was levied by the consul L. Calpurnius Bestia in 111 BC. That army was reinforced by a supplementum by the consul Caecilius Metellus in 109 BC, and then reinforced again by another supplementum by Marius in 107 BC. It finished the war in 105 BC, marched in the Triumph on the New Year of 104 BC, and then was discharged. Its veterans received land grants in Africa and some offshore islands of Africa in 103 BC through a plebicide enacted by a tribune allied to Marius.
- The army that Marius would use to crush the Cimbri and Teutones was levied in 105 BC by P. Rutilius Rufus. Marius became consul in 104 BC and took command of it, it was better trained than his own African army, more highly disciplined. In addition Marius appears to have added another legion, maybe two, of the survivors of Arausio, but its unclear exactly how that worked, only one source mentions them. This army staged in Transalpine Gaul from 104-102 BC waiting for the Cimbri Horde to return and then defeated the Ambrone and Teutones in 102 BC, then defeated (in junction with Q. Lutatius Catulus' army) the Cimbri in 101 BC. They marched in a Triumph in late 101 BC and then were discharged. The veterans of which were heavily involved in the political turmoil of 100 BC, which culminated in the Saturninus Affair. Prior to his death the tribune was able to pass a law bestowing land grants on Marius' veterans in Italian Gaul and elsewhere (though these might have later been revoked, along with all laws of Saturninus, deemed nul).
- During the Social War Marius initially served as legate to an army raised by the Consul P. Rutilius Lupus. Lupus and part of his army were killed at the battle of the River Tolenus in 88 BC. Marius saved the army, defeated the Marsi in a brilliant counterstroke, then himself fell from some serious illness immediately after. This army would later be given to Gn. Pompeius Strabo and then discharged after the Social War ended.
The same would have applied to Socii cohorts raised during this period, they too would have been discharged when the Romans were too. They just didn't get the land grants the Roman soldiers did under Marius. As you can see, no long standing legions.
It appears that the legions became more professionalized and long standing not in active war theaters (those were usually consular legions that would be levied and often discharged after victory) but instead during arduous and long term garrison duties. Garrison legions in spain, in Sicily, in Macedonia (fighting Thracian invaders and putting down local rebellions), Greece, and Asia would have likely seen consular and praetorian legions initially levied with supplementums ordered every few years to keep them at full strength for a six year period (which seems to have been the longest a legion would typically serve during the Late Republic, besides national emergencies).
Sulla's legions were pretty long standing. They were initially raised during the Social War, he used them at Nola, then were kept under the standards (probably because he got along well with him) and used during the Mithridatic Wars, then used after during the Civil War, before Sulla discharged them with land grants during his dictatorship. Pompey's later armies would have been similar. He raised numerous legions of clients, inherited other legions from Sulla or other commanders, and then used them in Spain against Sertorius and later in his campaign against the pirates and then while conquering the East. In the end, he discharged this army when he became Consul (with Crassus) and set them up with land grants largely in the East.
Caesar's initial four legions were likely recruited by a previous consul of Transalpine Gaul, Caesar definitely didn't do it himself. They fought for ten years under him and were likely supposed to be discharged but the Civil War interceded and that was delayed. The massive bonuses that Caesar gave to his soldiers was in my opinion the result of keeping the legions together after their 16 year service obligation was up (it wasn't 20 years until Augustus). If you actually look at the time period many of his legions mutinied it coincides with when the legion itself would have hit their 16 year mark under the standards. Minus MAJOR donatives they no longer had any obligation to serve.
