Training of Centurions

[Anonymous]

Was there a special camp that undertook the training of centurions ? <p></p><i></i>

[Matthew Amt]

Probably just the school of hard knocks! Learn on the job from those above you. If you don't learn, you don't get promoted. Of course, if all you learn is how to use your connections to get promoted, that will probably work too!<br>
<br>
Vale,<br>
Matthew/Quintus <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Using connections to get promotions is how things like "the Varus Incident" happen.<br>
<br>
Doh! <p><br><br><i><b>Your acceptance of me is not the lynchpin of my happiness.</i></b></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

The reason I ask is that I recently finished Damion Hunter's The Centurions. Fun novel and had some good military stuff. Genuine research. He had the two main characters in a School for centurions outside of Rome. They were also directly recruited to the centuriate. I am looking to see if this could or is accurate possibility. <p></p><i></i>

[Goffredo]

These reviews are very positive<br>
loki.stockton.edu/~roman/fiction/hunter.htm<br>
Has anyone else read Hunter and can acknowledge or counter these reviews? <p></p><i></i>

[Guest]

Salve,<br>
<br>
As far as is known from extant sources there was no special training school for the centurionate. A <i> centurio</i> was either directly commisioned from civilian life, usually from the ranks of the urban elite of the <i> curiales</i> or <i> decuriones</i> (NB in civilian context, thus city council members, no cavalry officers) or the equestrian order. Others received their commission after service in the praetorian guard or after serving in various posts as NCO's, usually having held all of the <i> duplicarii</i> posts (ie <i> optio</i>, <i> signifer</i> and <i> cornicularius</i> apparently in random order) or other specialist positions (eg as <i> beneficiarius</i>). In addition some of the legionary <i> centuriones</i> were promoted from posts as <i> decurio</i> in the auxiliary cavalry or the imperial horse guard. There are no <i> discentes</i> attested for the centurionate, soldiers awaiting their promotion being designated <i> ad spem ordinis</i> or <i> candidatus</i>. In exceptional cases centurions were elected by the troops, a practice that was heavily frowned upon by senatorial historians like Tacitus. Civilian appointees may have been enrolled previously in one of the paramilitary <i> iuventus</i> organisations, whose main activities seem to have been in teaching upperclass youths horse riding skills and weapons handling rather than military theory, though membership of such an organisation is not known to have been a prerequisite.<br>
<br>
Speidel has an interesting text about an individual promoted to the centurionate because of his bravery and support of the soldiers.<br>
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Vanammoni Augusto sac(rum) | Aur(elius) Varixen, ordin(arius) | qui ex fortia et suff(ragio) vex(illationis) | profec(it) templ(um) ex voto | a solo extruxit l(ibens) a(nimo)<br>
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'Sacred to Augustus Vanammon. Aurelius Varixen, centurion, who was promoted because of brave deeds and the support of the detachment, has in fulfillment of his vow willingly had this temple built from the ground up'<br>
<br>
M.P. Speidel, 'Becoming a centurion in Africa' in: <i> Roman army studies II</i>, 124-130.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=sandervandorst>Sander van Dorst</A> at: 9/3/01 2:03:24 pm<br></i>