Naval ranks

[Tarbicus]

Asked this question of Jasper, but made it public as it's a subject not often discussed



Hi Jasper,

As you're the fleet expert I just wondered if you could confirm the names for the officers of the fleet (specifically naval)?:

praefecti
navarch
trierarch

It's for a friend, and I was just wondering if any others immediately sprang to mind?

Dank u wel,
Jim.

[Praefectusclassis]

Oh, so now I have to give a well founded answer huh? :wink:
Well, here goes, top to bottom:
Praefectus Classis Misenensis
Praefectus Classis Ravennatis
Prf Cl.Britannicae, Germanicae, Ponticae - subpraefecti Classis Mis/Rav
Prf.Cl.Pann, Moes, Syr, Alex
Praepositi vexillationis
Navarchi princeps
Navarchi
Centuriones - triearchis.
- It's possible (but only one inscription as evidence) that there were several grades of centurio -
The usual duplicarii, sesquiplicarii and gregali

Alsjeblieft!

[L. Aufidius Pantera]

There is quite a lot of discussion on Naval ranks, I believe (and I agree with you, Jasper, that Starr has the wrong end of the stick) - for a good list of ranks, there is a little publication (v. cheap) by Spaul, who attempts to list all epigraphic data for the Roman Fleets - its called

Spaul, J. (2002) Classes Imperii Romani
Necoria Press, Andover

There are some minor mistakes in it, but for a list of all naval ranks it should be useful!

Hope this helps,
Christoph

[Dan Diffendale]

There are some minor mistakes in it

hock:

Well, I'm currently in the midst of wrapping up a project of reviewing and "supplementing" Spaul. I'd say that the book is just not trustworthy. It's a good place to start, but you have to double-check everything against the CIL.

But -- it is hard to muck up the ranks too much...

BTW the publisher is 'Nectoreca'.

[L. Aufidius Pantera]

be sure to check especially the AE references, too - they are more than off. And as for the material from the Lower Danube...

still - I think Spaul if fairly useful just for things like listing ranks and ship names and Stuff - if that is all you need!

Of course, you're right about the publisher - I seem to have a minor eye-mind-keybord coordinatrion prblem... (see what I mean???)

[Dan Diffendale]

Yes, you're quite right about the AE refs.
Actually, the ship-lists are one of the biggest disappointments in the book, in my opinion... but in a few weeks I should have finished *correct* ship-lists, at least for Ravenna and Misenum, and I'll make them available here...

[L. Aufidius Pantera]

Have never really had the time to check the ship lists precisely, but revised ones sure sound interesting!

Are you just focusing on the Praetorian Fleets, or have you included the (few) references to vessels there are from the Provincial ones, too?

And do you know anything about alleged lists of ships by Reddé? Apart from the little bit of stuff in Mare Nostrum? Apparently he has published quite succinct lists of vessels somewhere, but I can't remember where exactly...

Cheers!