Close relatives serving together

[Tarbicus]

I know it did happen, but does anyone have an idea of how common it was for close relatives to serve together in the same legion, or where to find useful sources on the subject?

By close I mean father, son, uncle, nephew, cousin.

[Praefectusclassis]

The logical sources to look at would be inscriptions. You'll find that it is certainly not rare to have family members serving in the same unit. That would have gotten more so as more soldiers were born 'in castris'.
One caveat when reading inscriptions: frater may mean brother (as in genetically), but it can also mean 'brother in arms', comrade.

[Tarbicus]

One caveat when reading inscriptions: frater may mean brother (as in genetically), but it can also mean 'brother in arms', comrade.

Thanks Jasper, I always took it to mean the latter and never thought of it as the former in a literal sense.

[Praefectusclassis]

Well, you don't always know. That's the trouble. Early inscriptions where soldiers have a complete 'fake' Roman name and just a 'barbaric' name distinguishes them from another soldier who was not originally Roman, it's hard to know. And what about all the Aurelii of the later 2nd and early 3rd century? Same family name, strictly speaking, but there are so many of those, it's hard to distinguish between the two.
Sometimes it's easy, e.g.:

Belegstelle: AE 1977, 00586
Provinz: Germania superior Ort: Mainz / Mogontiacum
M(arcus) Cassius M(arci) f(ilius) Ouf(entina) Med(iolano) v[eteranus] / leg(ionis) XIIII Gem(inae) an(norum) [3] / C(aius) Cassius M(arci) f(ilius) Ouf(entina) Med(iolano) frate[r miles(?)] / leg(ionis) XIIII Gem(inae) an(norum) XLV stip(endiorum) [3] / h(ic) s(iti) sunt

Marcus and Caius Cassius, sons of Marcus, are clearly brothers.

These guys are brothers in arms:
Belegstelle: AE 1979, 00433
Provinz: Germania superior Ort: Mainz / Mogontiacum
C(aius) Tallius / C(ai) Fab(ia) Pris/cus vetera/nus ex leg(ione) XIIII / Gem(ina) anno(rum) / XLIIX stip(endiorum) XXVII / vexsillo P(ubli) Atili / Crispi h(ic) s(itus) e(st) / frater pro pi/etate pos(u)it

[Tarbicus]

Thanks Jasper. Unfortunately I'm no master of latin, and BlitzLatin in Inscription mode still makes it seem a bit of an exercise in ancient Greek oratory :? I guess if a common father is mentioned that's the biggest clue.

[Praefectusclassis]

Sorry...
Provinz: Germania superior Ort: Mainz / Mogontiacum
M(arcus) Cassius M(arci) f(ilius) Ouf(entina) Med(iolano) v[eteranus] / leg(ionis) XIIII Gem(inae) an(norum) [3] / C(aius) Cassius M(arci) f(ilius) Ouf(entina) Med(iolano) frate[r miles(?)] / leg(ionis) XIIII Gem(inae) an(norum) XLV stip(endiorum) [3] / h(ic) s(iti) sunt
=
Marcus Cassius, son of Marcus, (of the voting tribe) Oufentina from Mediolanum (Milan), veteran of Legio XIIII Gemina, ? years of age and
Caius Cassius, son of Marcus, (of the voting tribe) Oufentina from Mediolanum (Milan), his brother, soldier of Legio XIIII Gemina, 45 years of age, served ? years, lie here.

I misread the second one, the second name is actually the name of the unit commander, not his 'brother in arms':oops:. I'll take a raincheck on that one.

[hansvl]

Hi,

Here are two other examples from Africa (Lambaesis)

Father-son relationship
CIL VIII 2811 (and page 1739)
D(is) M(anibus) S(acris) / Buccius/ Antoninus / vet(eranus) v(ixit) a(nnis) LXXV / Antonius Victor / sig(nifer) pat(ri) dul(cissimo) f(ecit)

To the sacred divine spirits. Buccius Antoninus veteran (of legio III Augusta), lived for 75 years. Antonius Victor made (this tombstone) for his dearest father.

Here’s an interesting one: IMO one ‘real’ brother and two ‘brothers in arms’:

CIL VIII 2890
D(is) M(anibus) / C(aii) Iuli(i) C(aii) f(ilius) Quir(ina) Quadrati Cirt(a) / vixit annis L / H(ic) s(itus) e(st) / Iulii Bassus (centurio) leg(ionis)/ III Aug(ustae) et Anucella / et Modestus mil(es) / coh(ortis) I urban(ae) / et Saturninus sp(eculator) / leg(ionis) eiusdem / fratri optimo

To the divine spirits of Caius Iulius Quadratus son of Caius, of the (voting) tribus Quirina, from Cirta. He lived for fifty years. Here he lies. Iulius Bassus, centurion of legio III Augusta and (Iulia) Anucella; and Modestus, soldier of the first cohort urbana and Saturninus, speculator of the same legion (dedicated this) to their best brother.

Also just one remark:

That would have gotten more so as more soldiers were born 'in castris'.

It is never 'in castris', just plain and simple castris in all the inscriptions where this is mentioned. How this 'in castris' keeps crawling from, I don't know.

Greets,

Hans

[Praefectusclassis]

:oops: Thanks Hans. You're right. I suppose it crept in to make it easier for the non-Latin speaking people of the world.