Roman Marines and Citizenship

[M. Demetrius]

Roman marines in the Principate and early Empire were apparently non-citizen auxilia, based on what I have read so far. Some of their Centurions and other higher administrative officers could be citizen Legionaries, or Senatorial appointees.

Right so far?

Occasionally, an auxilia (or other non-citizen) could do something outstanding enough, such as perhaps saving the life of a High Officer or government official, at risk of his own life, and that rescued man might refer him to Rome and recommend citizenship be granted to him early (rather than waiting for his diploma at the end of his enlistment in the case of a soldier).

Supposing Rome agreed, and granted citizenship. What would then be the status of that soldier? Would be be transferred out of the auxiliary unit, or would he just continue to serve in his present position? Would there be a conflict with some maritime regulation if he served in an auxiliary unit as a citizen?

[Quintius Clavus]

The Claudius Tiberianus archive, which is a collection of letters found in Egypt, deals somewhat with this topic. In the particular case in the letters, the young man, Terentianus, son of Claudius Tiberianus, who was a citizen and therefore eligible for service in the legions, was rejected for legion service upon his first attempt to enlist and instead put into the fleet - probably as a "marine". He complained about the rejection (about the letter of recommendation that wasn't apparently good enough). In another letter he mentioned that while in fleet service, his optio took his dolabra away from him, resulting in his writing to his father for a replacement one. Later, he applied for transfer to a legion-presumably one in Egypt and his transfer was approved.

Thus, the line was blurring between citizen legions and "non-citizen" auxiliaries as time progressed from first into second centuries, etc.

It could be possible in light of this that your citizen marine, if desiring to move into a more senior service, might successfully apply for transfer to a legion. I think it is somewhat controversial whether men, especially in the eastern provinces, were made citizens upon entry into the legions-I would guess that if it happened it would occur under conscription rather than true voluntary service. As I understand it, however, the lines were a little blurred between voluntary and conscription military service in the Principate. The "made-citizen-upon-entry" comes up in the discussions of those who list "in castris" as their birth location. A child's citizenship or lack thereof in the period when soldiers could not marry while in service followed that of the mother (Sara Elisa Phang-The Marriage of Roman Soldiers-she has quite a lot of information about soldiers and their citizen status while in service - noting increasing numbers of citizens in the auxiliaries as the second century AD progressed).

This is a rather lengthy answer to your question as to whether your citizen marine would stay in the fleet. My suggestion is that if he so desired to remain he could. He might also get a promotion. Because patronage played an important part in a man's career, though he has already been well rewarded for saving that officer or official's life, that he could if he so desired petition to be transferred to another more senior branch or get a promotion, within the fleet, commenserate with being a citizen. The reverse occurred, in that soldiers in the legions could be punished by being transferred to units of less seniority like the auxiliary infantry.

[M. Demetrius]

Thank you for a concise but well-thought out reply. As a marine, I wonder what kind of promotions might be available? An experienced man might get bumped up to centurion, since the headman on any sized ship was called a centurion, even if only a dozen or two soldiers would be in his command...but it's sort of hard to imagine much above that. Or am I missing something?

[M. Caecilius]

Thank you for a concise but well-thought out reply. As a marine, I wonder what kind of promotions might be available? An experienced man might get bumped up to centurion, since the headman on any sized ship was called a centurion, even if only a dozen or two soldiers would be in his command...but it's sort of hard to imagine much above that. Or am I missing something?

Weird that I was just now discussing an inscription on another thread that might fit here. An inscription from Bovianum mentions a man who rose(apparently) from Speculator in the Fleet at Misenum to the grade of Centurio -- but in the VI Cohort of Praetorians, if my reading is not at fault. Check the discussion out here: http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat.html?fu...&id=318423 As I said there, quite a career move, so much that I suspect something smells fishy either with the inscription, the transcription, or my interpretation.

[M. Demetrius]

Yes, I've been following that thread with considerable interest. Thanks for the tip!