Centurions riding to battle

[james1127]

Is it true that centurions did not march, but they rode on horses. I had never heard of this before but saw it here : http://www.caerleon.net/history/army/page3.html Is it common knowledge and am i just beingstupid? :oops:

[Matt Lukes]

Well:

His equipment was very different so his men could quickly find him in battle.

The crest makes this somewhat true, doubtless, but it's a bit of a leap to suggest everything else is specifically different for identification purposes...

He carried a vine stick as a badge of rank. He would use this to punish his men!

True- there's a story about a Centurio whose nickname was 'Fetch another' because each time he broke his vitis on the back of a soldier he was punishing, he's call to his Optio to 'fetch another'

The horsehair crest on his helmet went from side to side.

Mostly accurate- a couple of Centuriones' tombstones do show a transverse crest although no clear evidence yet of the nature of the crest, so horsehair is just one of the possibilities.

He wore medals on his chest, awarded for bravery in battle.

Misleading- not all Centuriones had phalarae on a chest harness, and not only they wore them- there's at least one tombstone of an Aquilifer who has them as well

Centurions could marry, and their wives lived in the barracks with them.

I've never read of a universal law for this- and doubt it'd have been for the entire life of the Empire if there were at some point

They did not march, they rode on horseback.

I've never read a primary source that states this- I'd like to know what the evidence for this statement is

And please put your real name in your profile signature line- it's a forum rule

[Tib. Gabinius]

Lets add me some things.
Caedo Alteram, the centurio with the name of fletch another was killed by his own men in a revolt. So this story isnt typical, its more a warning, "dont be to hard or only hard".


Centuriones did march also. Often the doctorcampi seemed to be centuriones or revocated veterans in centurions rank, and the had to do the test marches and so on. Also theres not one evidence give all centuriones horses, while we have a lot of evidence that these officers were beside their men also in surprising battles.

Centuriones were soldiers as well and werent allowed to marry, but the had enough influence, so they often got a special permission, at least more often than regular soldiers.
And while many centuriones esp. from 2nd century were "bought in", the families had interests in getting them married...

[james1127]

Thanks for the help