01-12-2013, 03:51 PM
Quote:Frank post=328065 Wrote:Konrad Stauner, Das offizielle Schriftwesen des römischen Heeres von Augustus bis Gallienus, 2004. He quotes Iosephus Flavius and Appian.The passage you quote sounds awfully like Polybius.
Actually I myself did not quote Stauner word-for-word. I did summarize his german translation of the ancient greek quotes on page 73, which are:
Ios. bell. Iud. 3,87f and
App. civ. 5,46
unfortunately I can't read the greek text in the footnote, just his german translation.
Quote:Josephus (Jewish War III.87-88) certainly refers to centurions checking in with tribunes, and then all of them (if Josephus' problematic ταξίαρχοι is a catch-all term for centurions and tribunes) checking in with the legate. But I don't recall anything more detailed.
Josephus obviously describes the situation on a campaign, when multiple legions camp together. What Stauner translates is:
"Mit Tagesanbruch treten die Soldaten vor den Zenturionen an, um sie zu begrüßen, diese vor den Tribunen, mit denen dann die Legaten zu demselben Zweck vor den Oberbefehlshaber treten. Dieser gibt Ihnen herkömmlicherweise die Losung und die sonstigen Befehle, die sie ihren Untergebenen mitzuteilen haben."
The relevant part of the Appian quote is " ... wie es immer üblich ist, daß der Tribun, der um die Losung bittet, dem Kommandanten die tägliche Aufstellung über die Präsenzstärke übergibt ..., as it is always usual, that the tribune, who asks for the orders, also gives the daily-report to the commander."
The interesting insight for me regarding our discussion is, that the centurio pilus prior, who might be the cohort commander according to his rank, is not mentioned. It is all about the tribunes. Stauner says not, that centurions, tribunes and legates go to the governor. He just says tribunes and legates in his german translation. Perhaps a little dispute about subtleties of the greek grammar?
Even legates plus tribunes makes just sense, if all are in the same camp accidentally. But all centurions of 3-4 legions (180-240 men) going to the province governor every morning? Sounds weird, 20-30 legates and tribunes, like Stauner says, are heavy enough imho.
PS: I should have choosen ancient greek as my 3rd language on highschool (after Latin and English). French was a waste of time anyways :dizzy:
Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas