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Gashford · 07-29-2002, 07:35 AM

Hello all, 
 
A few months ago I read an interesting post about the different types of optio that existed. I am curious about Centurio? Did different types of these offices also exist and if they did do we have any idea of the names of these types? 
 
My thanks for any help. 
 
Graham

07-29-2002, 03:00 PM

Salve, 
 
There were various centurions that had special functions. Though the legion had sixty centurions in 14 AD according to Tacitus, this number was raised in the following period. CIL VIII, 18065, a second century inscription from Lambaesis, lists for a number of cohorts more centurions, seven or even eight, than the six expected. This higher number of officers does not seem to have corresponded to an increase in the actual number of centuriae in each cohort, which from extant evidence appears to have remained six. Instead it seems that additional posts of centurion were created to fulfill a variety of other roles both within the legion as well as elsewhere that had developed over time and could not be performed concurrently with the command of a regular infantry unit. To distinguish between officers actually in command of a century ( centuria or ordo) and those which did not, the terms of centurio ordinarius or - ordinatus (eg AE 1989, 641) and that of centurio supernumerarius ( CIL 5, 8278) came into use. As ordinarii would have vastly outnumbered the supernumerarii, it eventually became a substitute for centurio and survived in a Greek form in the Byzantine army. 
 
The Latin titles of centurions with special tasks, along with some though not all references, include these: 
 
 Centurio annonae 
 
 CIL 14, 125 
 
Centurion involved with collection of supplies. 
 
 
 Centurio exercitator 
 
Cavalry training officer, attested for legionary cavalry (eg AE 1971, 326), provincial governor's equites singulares, imperial horse guard equites singulares Augusti (eg AE 1954, 83) and equites praetoriani (eg CIL 10, 1127). Though auxiliary units had their own decurio exercitator ( AE 1984, 900), guard cavalry units had one or more centuriones exercitatores attached. 
 
 
 Centurio frumentarius / centurio frumentariorum 
 
Ao AE 1977, 171; AE 1980, 828; AE 1984, 515; AE 1991, 270; AE 1991, 271; AE 1996, 1540; AE 1994, 248; AE 1994, 249; AE 1994, 250; CIL 2, 484; CIL 2, 4150; CIL 14, 125; CIL 14, 4487 
 
 
Officer of military intelligence service which could be serving both in the provinces or in Rome at the castra peregrina. The frumentarii were originally tasked with the grain supply to the army and developed into intellignece operatives. They acquired a notorious reputation as they were at times used for assasination. Eventually the frumentarii were replaced by the agentes in rebus. 
 
 
 Centurio interprex 
 
 AE 1988, 938 
 
Legionary centurion acting as interpreter. The text does not indicate whether the function of interpreter was held before, during or after the centurionate. Another interpreter recorded in an inscription was a salariarius, a soldier on special pay, indicating that this function could be performed by men of varying rank. 
 
 
 Centurio negotiator 
 
 AE 1988, 938 
 
Legionary centurion probably involved with supply contracts. 
 
 
 Centurio regionarius 
 
 AE 1975, 745; AE 1985, 738; RIB 152 
 
Centurion with administrative and judicial tasks. 
 
 
 Centurio speculatorum (Augusti) 
 
 AE 1995, 259; AE 1984, 183; AE 1998, 598 
 
This officer may or may not be identical to the exercitator. He was attached to the speculatores of the praetorian guard, cavalrymen who served as imperial bodyguards, counterbalancing the custodes corporis. 
 
 
 Centurio statorum (praetorianorum) 
 
 CIL 5, 7257; RIU-05, 01069 
 
Officer of the military constabulary, attested for both the provincial armies and the praetorian guard. 
 
 
 Centurio stratorum / centurio curam agens stratorum 
 
 AE 1967, 385; AE 1977, 653; CIL 13, 6746; CIL 13, 8203; AE 1935, 100 
 
Legionary officer in charge of horse supply. Officers in this position are also attested as being in command of a governor's pedites singulares, the auxiliary foot guards. 
 
 
It is sometimes claimed that a triarius ordo was in command of the vexillum veteranorum, though this is purely speculation. To start with the text which is read as triarius ordo, that of the wellknown Marcus Caelius[/i], is more often read as I ordo ( primus ordo) rather than T[riarius) ordo. In addition this text does not mention the legionary veterans at all. 
 
In Greek 
 
 HekatontarchÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¨s lonchophoroon 
 
 BJ 6.262 
 
'Centurion of the javelineers', very likely a centurio supernumerarius as Diocletianic papyrus mentions such officers attached to a unit of lancearii. In Latin this title would translate as centurio lanceariorum, which is not itself attested. 
 
In addition to the above functions centurions were from time to time entrusted with various commands, serving as curam agens or praepositus over a variety of both regular and provisional units. 
 
Some publications 
 
Austin, N.J.E. and N.B. Rankov, Exploratio. Military intelligence in the Roman world from the second Punic war to the battle of Adrianople (London 1995) 292p. 
Gilliam, J.F., 'The ordinarii and ordinati of the Roman army' in: TAPhA 71 (1940), 127-148. 
Rea, J.R., 'Ordinatus' in: ZPE 38 (1980), 217-219. 
Speidel, M.P., Guards of the Roman armies (Bonn 1978) 149p. 
Speidel, M.P., Riding for Caesar. The Roman emperors' horse guard (London 1994) 223p. 
Stein, E., 'Ordinarii et campidoctores' in: Byzantion 8 (1933), 379- 387. 
 
Vale, 
 
Sander van Dorst Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=sandervandorst>Sander van Dorst</A> at: 7/30/02 11:37:15 am

Gashford · 07-29-2002, 03:45 PM

Sander 
 
As ever this is a great response thankyou ever so much for taking the time and the effort to put this down for me. 
 
Speaking for myself (and I imagine others), I believe that this forum owes you a tremendous debt of gratitude for your resources, answers (with references) and swiftness. 
 
My sincerest thanks. 
 
Graham

07-30-2002, 09:35 AM

Salve, 
 
No thanks, you are welcome. 
 
There were various posts as princeps, an officer in charge of administrative affairs. 
 
 Princeps praetorii 
 
ILJug-02, 469 
 
Officer in charge of HQ. 
 
 
 Princeps peregrinorum 
 
 AE 1984, 515; 
 
Officer in charge at the castra peregrina at Rome, the 'foreign camp' which housed troops seconded from the provincial armies, including the frumentarii. 
 
 
 Princeps vexillationis 
 
 AE 1978, 440 
 
Officer in charge of provisional unit's administration. 
 
 
 Princeps numeri 
 
IK-22, 1224a 
 
Officer in charge of a unit's administration. Not that numerus did not carry the specialised meaning of irregular auxiliary unit in Roman times, but was a general term for unit, also used for legionary troops. 
 
 
There is, as so often, much less material available for the auxilia than for the legions and the units stationed around Rome. Though it seems that it were often legionary centurions that were given special tasks, there are also indications that auxiliary officers could perform special duties. 
 
 Centurio singularium peditum 
 
 AE 1923, 33 
 
Centurion in command of the provincial governor's infantry guards. 
 
 
 Decurio exercitator 
 
 AE 1984, 900 
 
Cavalry training officer. 
 
 
Recommended reading: 
 
Clauss, M., Lexicon lateinischer militÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¤rische FachausdrÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¼cke (Stuttgart 1999) 103p. Excellent book. 
 
Regards, 
 
Sander van Dorst

04-19-2005, 04:41 PM

Durring the republic it was a little bit more simple:

in each manipel (from manus=hand) were two centurien, one centurio was declared, normally at the order from legion commander, the legatus. This centurio was called "centurio maximus" and chose the second centurio of the maniple. If no tribun was in dirct charge of the manipel, he command the manipel.
The second centurio was in commend of the centurie of the manipel.
each centurio selected from his centurie three men: the optio (second-in-command), signifer (standardbearer), and a thrid man (sorry canÃƒâ€šÃ‚Â´t remember his title), who was responsible for the parole und watch duty.

drsrob · 04-19-2005, 10:37 PM

Each maniple indeed had two centurions. The senior however was known as centurio prior and the other as centurio posterior. If both were present the senior centurion commanded the maniple ÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¡nd the right-hand century, while the left hand was commanded by the junior centurio.
The centuriones of each maniple selected two optiones and two signiferes (standard-bearers).
The third NCO would have been the tesserarius. Polybius mentions a soldier with these responsabilities in his description of the Roman camp, but not in that of the organisation.

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