Prefects?

[Lucius Galerius Falconius]

I was reading this book and one section covers the career structure of an equestrian. I do not understand what the prefects of a cohort did because a primus pilus commanded the cohort. Also, what did the prefects of a calvary regiment do if a young senator commanded those.

This is what it read:

"Equestrians began with 'three equestrian militae(Prefect of a cohort, angusticlavian tribune, prefect of a wing)', each of three years' duration. At the beginning of the Empire, primipili became commanders of cohorts and inexperienced senators of calvary regiments. All that was left for this young man of second rank was to be a tribune, and then from Claudius onwards the sequence was a cohort, cavalry regiment, then legion. Under the Flavians the sequence was modified to cohort, legion, cavalry regiment and remained thus."

Soooo, it still doesn't say what the prefects did while primipili and senators commanded cohorts and cavalry regiments.

Any insight?

[Praefectusclassis]

Which book was this, I wonder?

[Lucius Galerius Falconius]

The Imperial Roman Army by Yann Le Bohec

Online version

[Praefectusclassis]

Maybe you're confusing things? Primipilares were promoted to the rank of prefect, while senators (social rank) performed that role during the early empire. Equestrians simply did other (administrative) things.

[D B Campbell]

"Equestrians began with 'three equestrian militiae', each of three years' duration. At the beginning of the Empire primipili became commanders of cohorts and inexperienced senators commanders of calvary regiments. All that was left for a young man of this second rank was to be a tribune, and from Claudius onwards the sequence was a cohort, a cavalry regiment and then a legion. Under the Flavians the sequence was modified to cohort, legion, cavalry regiment and remained thus."

Le Bohec is summarising the development of auxiliary commands from the early days of empire down to the time of the Flavians, when things settled down into the strict pattern of tres/quartae militiae that we're familiar with.

He just means that there were slim pickings for equestrians until Claudius reformed the system. For example, where primipilares used to command auxiliary cohorts, the job was later given over to equestrian prefects.