The officers and ranking system of the Roman army
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Date: 2023-08-10
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Comments and reviews: 20
Joe
This is more of an example of Rating than Rank,
ie. People were of rank within a secondary system that limits the person to a scope of duty.
Older militaries used to use Ratings as Rank but post-Napoleonic Corps system stripped jobs specialty from the individual's rank so that inter-operational job's prestige didn't undermine the rank of the person giving the order nor detract from their input into decision-making.
The only modern system of Rank like the Roman system of Rank is the Rating system of the world's Navies, where correct operational assignments are absolutely necessary and persons input is limited to the fields they are Rated for.
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This is more of an example of Rating than Rank,
ie. People were of rank within a secondary system that limits the person to a scope of duty.
Older militaries used to use Ratings as Rank but post-Napoleonic Corps system stripped jobs specialty from the individual's rank so that inter-operational job's prestige didn't undermine the rank of the person giving the order nor detract from their input into decision-making.
The only modern system of Rank like the Roman system of Rank is the Rating system of the world's Navies, where correct operational assignments are absolutely necessary and persons input is limited to the fields they are Rated for.
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Mathew
The one portion of the video I believe to be false is the very end where you said that only senatorial families had the chance to be a legate or tribune which was mostly true in republican times but in the empire that was just false as the emperor didnt want the senate to have control over the legions so over time they appoint pretty much all of these positions to friends of the emperor or his family as a way to maintain their power
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The one portion of the video I believe to be false is the very end where you said that only senatorial families had the chance to be a legate or tribune which was mostly true in republican times but in the empire that was just false as the emperor didnt want the senate to have control over the legions so over time they appoint pretty much all of these positions to friends of the emperor or his family as a way to maintain their power
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Static
I don't remember when the iron age started, or what the time of the Roman Empire was with regards to the Bronze Age Collapse. I think after, but I would like to know.
Another question. you are talking about a Century being 80 men. I had thought that the figure was 100, which divides easily when decimation is the ordered punishment - 1 in 10 solders, or 10 in 100 killed.
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I don't remember when the iron age started, or what the time of the Roman Empire was with regards to the Bronze Age Collapse. I think after, but I would like to know.
Another question. you are talking about a Century being 80 men. I had thought that the figure was 100, which divides easily when decimation is the ordered punishment - 1 in 10 solders, or 10 in 100 killed.
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Londo
I think of these more like Navy ratings rather than ranks. It is unclear and probably unknowable who had authority over who. The one thing not mentioned and I think is in that background is when the century fought all of the ratings fought. If I am not mistaken the difference between immunes and the laborers only really made a difference in camp or on the march.
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I think of these more like Navy ratings rather than ranks. It is unclear and probably unknowable who had authority over who. The one thing not mentioned and I think is in that background is when the century fought all of the ratings fought. If I am not mistaken the difference between immunes and the laborers only really made a difference in camp or on the march.
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Thomas
This quite explains Augustus' fury with Varus for losing 4 legions (actually, 3 Legions, per comments. They represented thousands of man-years of experience among these officers and no ordinary draft would replace them. That's probably why the Romans usually didn't consider a legion to be seasoned until it had existed for 20 years.
Superb video, btw!
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This quite explains Augustus' fury with Varus for losing 4 legions (actually, 3 Legions, per comments. They represented thousands of man-years of experience among these officers and no ordinary draft would replace them. That's probably why the Romans usually didn't consider a legion to be seasoned until it had existed for 20 years.
Superb video, btw!
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JR
Regarding promotion, can imagen that in a person in the Armorum Custodes, that maintain wepons and armors, do not need to be literate, and can hold the position based on his skill as a artisan. Then all in the Tesserarii need to be literate. Promotion to higher postion demand that you are literate. Hence the lower promotionn rate from the Armorum Custodes.
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Regarding promotion, can imagen that in a person in the Armorum Custodes, that maintain wepons and armors, do not need to be literate, and can hold the position based on his skill as a artisan. Then all in the Tesserarii need to be literate. Promotion to higher postion demand that you are literate. Hence the lower promotionn rate from the Armorum Custodes.
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Horatio
It makes me wonder if during all this training, if an intelligent soldier from a poor family was found if there were paths for them to gain literacy from the structure of the unit itself. Because if literacy was so highly prized, you would figure that there would be some form of training they could give to promising young men.
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It makes me wonder if during all this training, if an intelligent soldier from a poor family was found if there were paths for them to gain literacy from the structure of the unit itself. Because if literacy was so highly prized, you would figure that there would be some form of training they could give to promising young men.
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Brandon
Question: since literacy was the highest asset, I know that they would be classed into the immunes category, but would they still have to fight at all? Kind of feels weird if they really need people to read. Also, I would like to know what other positions if there are a lot, that are reserved for the higher Roman families
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Question: since literacy was the highest asset, I know that they would be classed into the immunes category, but would they still have to fight at all? Kind of feels weird if they really need people to read. Also, I would like to know what other positions if there are a lot, that are reserved for the higher Roman families
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Gioele
in latin when you have a word in wich the letter c is followed by e or i, you have a sweet sound, for example cerarii is readable like ce (like in che in chest) and rarii. To make a strong sound, you need the presence of the H between the two, or a K instead of the C. this at least works for the 1st century latin: )
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in latin when you have a word in wich the letter c is followed by e or i, you have a sweet sound, for example cerarii is readable like ce (like in che in chest) and rarii. To make a strong sound, you need the presence of the H between the two, or a K instead of the C. this at least works for the 1st century latin: )
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Pete
As someone who has been in the military. I feel these ranks are more like billets. That would explain why there was no direct path of promotion. Just as in the military today. You can have rank but billets is whay pushes the day to day operations
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As someone who has been in the military. I feel these ranks are more like billets. That would explain why there was no direct path of promotion. Just as in the military today. You can have rank but billets is whay pushes the day to day operations
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Darth
In the Marines during my time, anyone that got out at 4 years as an E3 or lower in the infantry (hardest mos to get ranks in, not all mos promote the same) was generally considered a shitbag. E4 meant you were good, E5 meant you were stellar
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In the Marines during my time, anyone that got out at 4 years as an E3 or lower in the infantry (hardest mos to get ranks in, not all mos promote the same) was generally considered a shitbag. E4 meant you were good, E5 meant you were stellar
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marchordie21
How about the Tribunus and the Legatus? They had any special (higher) military education or they were just recruited from the patrician roman families, without being required to have any military training/experience?
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How about the Tribunus and the Legatus? They had any special (higher) military education or they were just recruited from the patrician roman families, without being required to have any military training/experience?
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Charles
The first task of a legionary was to learn how to read. The next was to follow orders and as my dear old daddy would say, keep your mouth shut and your ears open. Lastly, save your pay and change your plunder into gold.
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The first task of a legionary was to learn how to read. The next was to follow orders and as my dear old daddy would say, keep your mouth shut and your ears open. Lastly, save your pay and change your plunder into gold.
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intelliGENeration
Itd be nice to see where Rome preferred to recruit many Italian documentaries have pointed to Illyria, their first random conquest, with whose soldiers they took over the world.
Any documents to refer to?
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Itd be nice to see where Rome preferred to recruit many Italian documentaries have pointed to Illyria, their first random conquest, with whose soldiers they took over the world.
Any documents to refer to?
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sean
ok question and excuse me for spelling or if someone asked this question
for the clerical jobs did that exempt them from war or did they have to go but be in the back of the ranks or how did that work?
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ok question and excuse me for spelling or if someone asked this question
for the clerical jobs did that exempt them from war or did they have to go but be in the back of the ranks or how did that work?
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AudieHolland
You didn't mention the rank of Decurion.
But that's probably because it's one of the lowest ranks.
A Decurion commanded 10 cavalry men, so in essence he as like a modern sergeant.
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You didn't mention the rank of Decurion.
But that's probably because it's one of the lowest ranks.
A Decurion commanded 10 cavalry men, so in essence he as like a modern sergeant.
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Izzuddin
Roman empire exist more than 2000 years ago. Yet, their governance and administration is more effective than today's. And their road construction is faaaaarrrr better than modern ones.
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Roman empire exist more than 2000 years ago. Yet, their governance and administration is more effective than today's. And their road construction is faaaaarrrr better than modern ones.
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Dominick
It would be interesting to do a comparison breakdown of modern military ranks and the comparable Roman rank.
Privates, sargents, gunny's, Lieutenants, colonels, generals.
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It would be interesting to do a comparison breakdown of modern military ranks and the comparable Roman rank.
Privates, sargents, gunny's, Lieutenants, colonels, generals.
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Pushing
also romans earned ranks through service while today some officers have never marched. and some woman went from soldier to lieutenant in one year. good on her knees i bet.
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also romans earned ranks through service while today some officers have never marched. and some woman went from soldier to lieutenant in one year. good on her knees i bet.
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Shirai
kind of surprises me how low the optio was in this ranking order, given he was the 2nd in command of the century. i expected them to be right below centurions
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kind of surprises me how low the optio was in this ranking order, given he was the 2nd in command of the century. i expected them to be right below centurions
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