12-07-2021, 12:17 AM
(12-05-2021, 09:55 PM)Corvus Wrote: What did they do in battle and on a normal daily basis? And how old were they? Were the narrow stripe tribunes as the senatorial ones?
These questions are rather easier to answer for the principiate than for the late republic, but detailed information is a bit scanty for any era!
In brief: during the republic there were six tribunes alloted to each legion (there was no distinction between types of tribune at this point). Most were probably in their early twenties, many of them the sons of senators or other prominent men, and their posts would have been gained via patronage: Cicero arranged a tribunate for a friend, who seems to have acted as a legal advisor on campaign.
Some tribunes do seem to have had combat experience, although what sort of role the officer ended up taking probably depended on his aptitude and inclinations. The threads linked below have some examples of tribune roles under the republic.
Under the empire the situation was different. The laticlavius (broad stripe) tribune was a young candidate for the senate, and would have served for a couple of years shortly after completing the vigintivirate junior magistracy at 18 or so. The oldest known senatorial tribune, I think, was aged 21. Their role seems to have been to accompany and observe the legion legate, gaining experience (and connections, probably) that would help them in their future careers.
The angusticlavius (narrow stripe) tribunes were military professionals of the equestrian order, serving the second of three traditional posts (the tres militiae). Many seem to have held positions in provincial or city government, or as priests of imperial cults, beforehand, and would already have served several years as cohort prefects before beginning their tribunate. Eric Birley estimates that the average age of a legion tribune was around 38, although there are cohort prefects of 23-24 recorded in inscriptions, so presumably some men started their careers earlier and may have become tribunes in their later twenties.
Again, duties varied. Pliny served as an equestrian tribune and spent his time auditing the books of neighbouring auxiliary units. Aemilius Macer, in the 3rd century, wrote that the tribune's duties were "To keep the troops in camp, to bring them out for training, to keep the keys of gates, from time to time to go the rounds of the guards, to be present at the soldiers' mealtimes and to test the quality of their food; to keep the quartermaster from cheating, to punish offences, to hear the soldiers' complaints and to inspect their sick quarters." (Digest XXXXIX.16).
Other men, however, apparently fought in battle, some leading detachments of their legion on campaign, and recorded their service on their tombstones.
For more detailed information, including some helpful quotes and references, you might like to look through these two older threads:
The role of the Tribunes in the republican legion
Military Tribunes and their significance
Nathan Ross
