Young Centurion?

[Marcus Julius]

... Besides at that age you are more reckless (heroic) and cruel (very handy in those days). The ss used very young boys too for that reason

I have to both agree, as well as disagree with that. The 'juegend' began training at a young age because they are so much more impressionable. It is easier to brainwash them into fanaticism when you start earlier.
Now for the agreeing part - it may have been beneficial to Rome to have such young minds in the post of centurion at a young age for similar reasons. They could be tested and taught by higher officers, and conditioned to be loyal to the command - as opposed to someone who rises from the legionary ranks who would have his loyalties to the troops with whom he had once served.

[Carlton Bach]

Now for the agreeing part - it may have been beneficial to Rome to have such young minds in the post of centurion at a young age for similar reasons. They could be tested and taught by higher officers, and conditioned to be loyal to the command - as opposed to someone who rises from the legionary ranks who would have his loyalties to the troops with whom he had once served.

It's possible, but I very much doubt that was the point. If it had been, there would be better (cheaper and safer) ways to do it. The Roman Empire didn't need a system of instilling institutional loyalty - loyalty was as it were automatic, to your tribe, polis, rank, class, ethnos, whatever you were socialised into. Men groomed for leadership were members of the equestrian and senatorial orders and thus would be soaking up its values with their mother's milk. You wouldn't need to take a boy and put him through the brainwash cycle just to get a loyal and efficient officer - their families were more than happy to do that themselves. I woulsd say it is much more likely that someone well connected managerd to get his boy started early. And I very much doubt a 14 year old - even under different standards of judging adulthood - would have been any good as an actual commander of troops.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I very much doubt a 14 year old - even under different standards of judging adulthood - would have been any good as an actual commander of troops.

That was where I was coming from to start with....