Princeps prior

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Princeps prior was a high-ranking Roman centurion and a member of the legion. Each of the ten cohorts that made up a legion had at its head the rank of pilus prior followed by the princeps prior. [1] The princepi priori were often titled with their cohort number preceding their title. For example, the princeps prior of the ninth cohort would be the nonus princeps priori.

Contents

There is some controversy as to the precise order of the ranks below the pilus prior but this rank was followed by princeps prior if the order is based on seniority. [2]

The princeps prior – like the princeps posterior – was elevated from the common soldiers based on merit. [3] He is chosen by the tribunes of soldiers or the Roman consul or proconsul. [3]

History

The position reflects the Roman Republic tradition of arranging the legion into three lines: the pilani , the principes and the hastati . [4] During the Republic, the princeps prior was the centurion in command of a manipulus (unit of two centuries) of principes (legionary heavy infantry). [5]

By the time of Caesar, the manipulus system had transitioned into the cohort system. A cohort was made of three manipuli. The princeps prior would be the centurion of the third rank of a cohort. [6]

It is unclear if the centurion ranks in the cohorts (excluding the first cohort) were structured by authority, but if they were, then the princeps prior would be preceded by the pilus posterior and succeeded by the princeps posterior. [7]

It is unclear how promotion worked among the officers in the Roman Legion. Scholars debate several theories of how promotion could have worked, but there is no concrete explanation. [6] [8]

See also

Fields, Nic (2009). Volume 37 of Battle Orders: The Roman Army of the Principate 27 BC-AD 117. Osprey Publishing. p. 34. ISBN   1-84603-386-1.

References

  1. ↑ Bohec, Yann Le (2000). The imperial Roman army. Routledge. pp43. ISBN   0-415-22295-8.
  2. ↑ Phang, Sara E.; Spence, Iain; Kelly, Douglas; Londey, Peter (2016). Conflict in Ancient Greece and Rome: The Definitive Political, Social, and Military Encyclopedia [3 volumes]: The Definitive Political, Social, and Military Encyclopedia, Volume I. ABC-CLIO. p. 784. ISBN   978-1-61069-020-1.
  3. 1 2 T. Livii ... Historiæ libri omnes qui extant ... Editio secunda. Dublinii. 1830. p. 149.
  4. ↑ Keppie, Lawrence (1998). The making of the Roman Army: from Republic to Empire. University of Oklahoma Press. pp174. ISBN   0-8061-3014-8.
  5. ↑ "Military terms and definitions in Ancient Rome | Classics" . Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  6. 1 2 Radin, Max (April 1915). "The Promotion of Centurions in Caesar's Army". The Classical Journal. 10 (7): 300–311 – via JSTOR.
  7. ↑ Webster, Graham (1985). The Roman Imperial Army of the First and Second Centuries A.D. (3rd ed.). Totowa, N.J.: Barnes & Noble Books. p. 114. ISBN   0713626976.
  8. ↑ Zehetner, Stefan (July 2016). "CIL VIII 18065 AND THE RANKING OF CENTURIONS". Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology. 3 (2): 7.


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