Aux. Leg. and Praet. How diffrent where they really!?

[Martin Wallgren]

As most of you here I try to read as many of the treads on this forum as possible and one thing that is clear is that the visions we have of how the soldiers of early Imperial Rome differ almost as much as the gaps in knowlage is large.

The latest feeling I get is that the major oppinion is that it is a very complex and confused area. This makes it very interessting. I would like to hear what thoughts and visions you guys have on this.

How strict was the diversion between the diffrent types of soldiers? Could a very gifted soldier do a career that spanned over all types of outfits. For examle could he start out in the Leg. and go to the Aux. and on to the veterans in the Praet.

And if the theory of every soldier owning his own equipment is true would and could he not be wearing a kit that was the same in all three units? Heard that some sourse said that Praet. swaping shields looked like Leg.

Is there any evidence of heavy infantery in the Aux? If so how would they differ from the Leg. H.I?

How strict was the dresscode? Would a poor Italianborn soldier stand with naked calves freezing his *** off in the Northeuorpean winter? Would a Soldier who where a secondgeneration German imigrant be stupid enough to do it even if he was Romanised in almost every other respect?

I know this is questions that there is no Y/N answers to but I realy like to se how you guys speculate on this. So lets streach the borders here, eh! Go on, let it out...

[Robert Vermaat]

Is there any evidence of heavy infantery in the Aux? If so how would they differ from the Leg. H.I?

I understood it that the auxilia could be heavy infantry as well as light infantry - isn't it so that they had a more flexible role, whereas the Legions were 'only' heavy infantry?

Differences:
Legion: pilum, gladius, curved rectangular shield.
Auxilia: hasta, spatha, oval (flat/dished) shield.

[Tarbicus]

Weren't the antesignani light infantry and specialists, or even skirmishers, but attached to the legion? They cropped up on Caballo's discussion earlier.

[M.ilionario]

IMHO, Auxiliary, Legionary and Praetorian infantry had similar equipment (with auxiliaries using spears and bows), I think the main difference was the shield design.
Probably this:

Auxiliaries: Parma (flat oval shield);

Legionaries: Scutum (first oval, straight top and bottom but oval sides during the late republic, during the early empire it had a rectangular shape);

Praetorians: Oval scutum (the first of the legionary list) with praetorian insignia.

Please correct me if I'm wrong

[D B Campbell]

Could a very gifted soldier do a career that spanned over all types of outfits. For examle could he start out in the Leg. and go to the Aux. and on to the veterans in the Praet.

Absolutely. Rome was the original land of opportunity.

Consider the well-known career of Ti. Claudius Maximus (AE 1969/70, 583 = AE 1974, 589). Starting as a legionary cavalryman (eques legionis), this man was promoted to cavalry standard-bearer (vexillarius equitum) and was decorated in Domitian's Dacian war. He was then transferred to an auxiliary ala as duplicarius, was promoted to decurion, and was decorated in Trajan's Dacian and Parthian wars.

[Matthew Amt]

How strict was the diversion between the diffrent types of soldiers? Could a very gifted soldier do a career that spanned over all types of outfits. For examle could he start out in the Leg. and go to the Aux. and on to the veterans in the Praet.

Yes! The example of Maximus has already been mentioned, but there are others who served in at least 2 different branches. Probably it was mostly men of centurion rank and above who moved around, but not always. We know that ordinary auxiliary cavalry men were picked for elite guard units, and one modern writer believes they probably took pride in all their shields and gear being different.

And if the theory of every soldier owning his own equipment is true would and could he not be wearing a kit that was the same in all three units?

Good question! If shield emblems were indeed used as unit designators, I guess he'd at least have to get his shield repainted. Might have to buy a new one or trade in his old one, maybe, if his new commander was sticky about shapes or somthing. It's all guesswork!

Is there any evidence of heavy infantery in the Aux? If so how would they differ from the Leg. H.I?

If infantry are chucking missiles in open order but not closing with the enemy, they're light. If they close in deliberately to fight with swords and/or spears, they're heavy! That's the way I look at it, at least. In either case, they could be armored or unarmored. It's more a matter of function than unit designation, if you ask me. There certainly were troops who specialized in one area or another, though, of course.

How strict was the dresscode?

Ha, we have NO idea!

Would a poor Italianborn soldier stand with naked calves freezing his *** off in the Northeuorpean winter? Would a Soldier who where a secondgeneration German imigrant be stupid enough to do it even if he was Romanised in almost every other respect?

Well, probably you could find all types. There had to be at least a few who refused to wear trousers no matter how cold it go (I've met a couple myself!), and a few who refused to go without trousers no matter how hot it got (ditto!). This is one area where I'm willing to admit that "practicality" had at least some influence. "Hey, I'm cold and Asterix isn't--where can I get some pants!"

Vale,

Matthew

[Peroni]

Matthew wrote..

Yes! The example of Maximus has already been mentioned, but there are others who served in at least 2 different branches. Probably it was mostly men of centurion rank and above who moved around, but not always.

There is certainly evidence of training/drill instructors (Campidoctores)
being trasferred to different unit types..

CIL 2, 4083 (From Tarragonna, Spain)
Marti campestri sac(rum) | pro sal(ute) | Imp(eratoris) M(arci) Aur(eli) Commodi | Aug(usti) et equit(um) sing(ularium) | T(itus) Aurel(ius) Decimus | > (centurio) leg(ionis) VII G(eminae) Fel(icis) | praep(ositus) simul et | camp(idoctor) dedic(avit) K(alendis) Mart(iis) | Mamert(ino) et Rufo co(n)s(ulibus)

'Sacred to Mars of the training field. For the sake of emperor Marcus Aurelius Commodus Augustus and the picked horsemen. Titus Aurelius Decimus, centurion of the legio VII Gemina, commander and at the same time drill master has dedicated this on the Kalends of march when Mamertinus and Rufus Were consuls'

Here a legionary centurion is mentioned as commander and instructor of the imperial horse guards. Legionary NCO's, like for instance the famous Tiberius Claudius Maximus, and officers are attested as transferred to positions in auxiliary cavalry units, indicating the elite nature of the small legionary cavalry force. I would venture to say that this man Decimus was not just a riding instructor, (as most men recruited into provincial alae could already ride extremely well), but also as a trainer of tactics and formations.

CIL 8, 2825. (From Tazoult, Numidia - Algeria).
D(is) M(anibus) s(acrum) | M(arco) Aurellio M(arci) f(ilio) | Pal(atina) Sextiano Os | tia > (centurioni) frumenta | rio exercitato | ri singularium | Imp(eratoris) hastato | leg(ionis) III Aug(ustae) | vix(it) an(nos) XLVIII | Paccia Prima | coniunx et he | res eius marito | piissimo

'Sacred to the spirits of the departed. To Marcus Aurelius Sextianus, son of Marcus, from the Palatine voting district from Ostia, centurio frumentarius, training officer of the emperors picked troops, hastatus of legio III Augusta has lived 48 years. Paccia Prima, his wife and heir, to her most dutiful husband.'

A Centurion of the frumentarii, or 'grain men'. These men were originally in charge of the food supply, but they developed into a military intelligence unit, which became notorious, as its complement was at times used for political assassinations. The singulares imperatoris are again, the imperial horse guard, more commonly called the equites singulares Augusti. The hastatus probably refers to the centurion's title. Again, in this case it is a legionary officer who is appointed to train soldiers of a unit drawn from auxiliaries.

[Tarbicus]

IIRC, a legionary was executed on the spot by a legate for having a differently shaped shield and therefore putting his comrades lives in danger.

[mike galer]

Hello

I have to say that apart from a few exceptions (and baring the senior officers) Aux soldiers did not move into the legions and the reverse is also true. The main reason for this was, in the early empire at least, you had to be a citizen to join the legions, therefore all non-citizens (peregrini) had to join the auxiliary forces - there are a few examples of citizens joining auxiliary regiments, but they are rare - there are also a few examples of citizen only special regiments of auxiliaries as well and I don't mean those who earned 'CR' early due to valour (see Spaul 2001), but these are rarer still and of course the reasons for them obscure. If you were a citizen already you might be able to transfer to a legion, probably exceptions could be made for favoured soldiers etc.

As for the distinctions between heavy and light infantry or cavalry for that matter, its all a matter of debate and view to as what is 'heavy' exactly. In the main, auxiliary, numeri and cunei type non-legionary forces were support forces, used for frontier guard, patrol, scouting (eg. the numerus exploratorum bremenuensium), hunting,(venatores Banniesnses) police action and holding actions, as well as missile (cohors I Hamiorum Sagittaria) units and of course most of the Calvary - though the auxilia were used as front-line shock troops as well. Detachments from ordinary duty (vexillationes) were common for legionary and auxiliary alike for special elite guard units, clerks, recruitment and training, building work and very small posts in villages, guard posts and the like.

As for heavy v. light, the distinction is usually thought to be due not the the use exactly the men were put, but the type of weapons and armour the unit had. It is supposed that the auxilia had lighter arms and armour than the legions, but this might not be completely true; the cohors VI Raetorum for example were armed with a heavy spear (gaesum) a ethnic weapon much heavier than the hasta. The cataphtactarii cavalry (an admittedly much later development but in the east used in Hadrian's time) are also 'heavy' but they were not 'legionary' but auxilia in status. Very large units such as those that were both milliaria (i.e. supposed to be 1000 strong) and eq (part-mounted) such as the cohors I Augusta Nervia germanorum milliaria eq, the cohors I Aelia Hispanorum milliaria eq, or the cohors I Vangionum milliaria eq might have been considered 'heavy' due to their elite status and military effectiveness as a tactical unit.[/i]

[mike galer]

Sorry, have to quickly add that in the two very good CIL examples illustrated a couple of posts above BOTH men were citizens, please note (three names and a voting tribe in one case) and therefore THEY could move to an auxiliary unit in a specialist position, (centurion, trainers etc) but an ordinary ethnically recruited auxiliary solider, without citizenship, could not move into the legions. [find me an example to prove me wrong and I will add it to my PhD!!)

[Praefectusclassis]

find me an example to prove me wrong and I will add it to my PhD

Well, that's the trick, now isn't it? What's a citizen in epigraphy? Tria nomina alone? Or is the tribal affiliation the only certain indicator? And if it is, then there's a problem, since it tends to disappear from the epigraphical habit by the second century, just when the number of inscriptions is the greatest. :wink:

[mike galer]

Good point, the tria nomina is the usual good indication of citizenship when it made a difference (1st and 2nd centuries). Into the 3rd century when such things no longer mattered (and the habit of inscriptions fades off) the presence of 3 names or not, of course is less reliable.

You have to be weary of the voting tribe itself as some were, by custom, used by those new to citizenship and they bore no relation to where they were born, so it themselves some voting tribes are indications of newly acquired citizenship.

Still the challenge is out there: find me a non-citizen auxiliary who appears to move into the legions and I'll be very interested

[Peroni]

there are a few examples of citizens joining auxiliary regiments, but they are rare - there are also a few examples of citizen only special regiments of auxiliaries as well and I don't mean those who earned 'CR' early due to valour (see Spaul 2001), but these are rarer still and of course the reasons for them obscure.

Actually they are quite numerous, and bear the titles voluntariorum civium romanorum, ingenuorum c R, Italica c R and campestris. Collectively these regiments constitute the cohortes civivm Romanorvm to the soldiers of which, Augustus left in his will a donative equal to that of the Legionaries. (Tacitus Annals i. 8 )

As for the reasons for them, it appears they represent the result of two levies made by Augustus in Italy, the first during the Pannonian uprising in 9AD and the second after the defeat of Publius Quinctillius Varus. The Cohortes I and II Italica could however have been raised at a later date by Tiberius to put down the Brigands in Sardinia (Tacitus Annals ii. 85).

When free-born citizens could not be found in sufficient numbers, the levy was extended to freedmen. This is corroborated by inscriptions, since the ingenuorum clearly implies the existence of regiments whose members could not make the same boast!

As the will of Augustus shows, these cohorts occupied a peculiar position, and were practically on the same level as the Legionaries, (in status as well as pay) and as a consequence their commanders bear the title of Tribunus. Up until the Flavian period, this is how things stood, but a diploma from Dalmatia of 93AD shows that unenfranchised recruits had been accepted. In the second century, only their title distinguishes these regiments from the ordinary auxilia.

[Tarbicus]

Still the challenge is out there: find me a non-citizen auxiliary who appears to move into the legions and I'll be very interested

I don't know if it actually fulfills the requirement, but there's a tantalising possibility here.

(for an example of promotion from auxiliary to legionary centurion see P. Holder, AAT, pp.101, 384)

[Tarbicus]

Just remembered it's been discussed before as well:
link from old RAT