01-05-2013, 08:16 AM
M Demetrius wrote:
Centurions headed up centuries, Legatus was in charge of a legion, but for some reason, I can't seem to find if there was an officer in charge of a cohort.
For the campaign of 462 BC Dionysius (9 69-71) describes four cohorts each of 600 men deployed before Rome. However, for the same year during an engagement against the Volscians and Aequians, Dionysius (9 63) mentions, “two cohorts did not exceed 1000 men.” Although these figures appear to be contradictionary they are not. A 600 man cohort is under the command of a military tribune. However, the 600 men only relates to the fighting components of the tribune cohort (the heavy armed infantry). The two cohorts not exceeding 1000 men is the full number for a tribune cohort, which now includes the light armed infantry. For the campaign of 431 BC, Livy (3 69) reports that two senators commanded a cohort. Here Livy is referring to a tribune cohort. Therefore, a tribune cohort is further under the command of two senators who are both subordinate to the military tribune.
Sallust (The Jugurthine War 46) writes that the Roman consul Metellus distributed the auxiliary cavalry among the tribunes of the legions and prefects of the cohorts. The Jewish historian Josephus (3 6 2 115), (3 124), Frontinus (Stratagems 4 1 26), Paterculus (2 112) and Tacitus (The Annals 13 9), (The Histories 2 59), (4 15 3) also defines those in command of an infantry cohort as a “prefect.”
Centurions headed up centuries, Legatus was in charge of a legion, but for some reason, I can't seem to find if there was an officer in charge of a cohort.
For the campaign of 462 BC Dionysius (9 69-71) describes four cohorts each of 600 men deployed before Rome. However, for the same year during an engagement against the Volscians and Aequians, Dionysius (9 63) mentions, “two cohorts did not exceed 1000 men.” Although these figures appear to be contradictionary they are not. A 600 man cohort is under the command of a military tribune. However, the 600 men only relates to the fighting components of the tribune cohort (the heavy armed infantry). The two cohorts not exceeding 1000 men is the full number for a tribune cohort, which now includes the light armed infantry. For the campaign of 431 BC, Livy (3 69) reports that two senators commanded a cohort. Here Livy is referring to a tribune cohort. Therefore, a tribune cohort is further under the command of two senators who are both subordinate to the military tribune.
Sallust (The Jugurthine War 46) writes that the Roman consul Metellus distributed the auxiliary cavalry among the tribunes of the legions and prefects of the cohorts. The Jewish historian Josephus (3 6 2 115), (3 124), Frontinus (Stratagems 4 1 26), Paterculus (2 112) and Tacitus (The Annals 13 9), (The Histories 2 59), (4 15 3) also defines those in command of an infantry cohort as a “prefect.”
