Centuriones
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2003 11:06 pmMy apologies that this will not be complete, I'm working from my reduced brain cell memory of a history convention panel I was at four years ago.
The speaker was a professor from the university of Maui. (I'm sure about the Maui part, whether "U. of" or "a u. in" I do not recall with surety) who has published academically on the Roman Army. I wished I had recorded his talk. It was interesting and illuminating on a number of topics. To the point...
He postulated, with verbal footnotes that meant nothing to me, that research of his was leading him to the conclusion that the Praetorian Guard may have functioned as a sort of OCS for the senior centurions of the legions. He (who had a Slavic type name, if that is any help) did not have an answer to how a centurion advanced in rank within a legion in the lower grades, but that would be posted to the Praetorians for a few years and then return to the legions in the upper tiers of the rank structure.
That is as far as I want to sketch out what my all too faulty memory holds. I can all too easily start pontificating on my own. However reasonible such thoughts might be, they would not be what the prof said. But now that I'm in a seperate paragraph (and still have some time in my lunch break) I will indulge a little bit. The above system of vetting centuriones to the Praetorians would not preclude someone being able to "climb through the hawsehole", though it would make it less likely. A hot prospect could be vetted tot he Praetorians sooner, if the legate of that legion didn't decide to hold on to him by whatever means he could. Yes, I draw on "modern" examples, but the human critter has many constants through the ages. The Praetorian posting would be a way to have some homogeneity of loyalty to the emperor instilled in the senior levels of the legions. ...
Okay. I'll leave it off there. I think I'll go do a search on the U of Maui and see if I can find the man's name. He had some interesting research about the cavalry saddle regarding lancer work too.
Marius, I look forward to your return. I hope it is soon. I pray all is well with you when you return.
Bene valete.
C. Aelius Ericius.
The speaker was a professor from the university of Maui. (I'm sure about the Maui part, whether "U. of" or "a u. in" I do not recall with surety) who has published academically on the Roman Army. I wished I had recorded his talk. It was interesting and illuminating on a number of topics. To the point...
He postulated, with verbal footnotes that meant nothing to me, that research of his was leading him to the conclusion that the Praetorian Guard may have functioned as a sort of OCS for the senior centurions of the legions. He (who had a Slavic type name, if that is any help) did not have an answer to how a centurion advanced in rank within a legion in the lower grades, but that would be posted to the Praetorians for a few years and then return to the legions in the upper tiers of the rank structure.
That is as far as I want to sketch out what my all too faulty memory holds. I can all too easily start pontificating on my own. However reasonible such thoughts might be, they would not be what the prof said. But now that I'm in a seperate paragraph (and still have some time in my lunch break) I will indulge a little bit. The above system of vetting centuriones to the Praetorians would not preclude someone being able to "climb through the hawsehole", though it would make it less likely. A hot prospect could be vetted tot he Praetorians sooner, if the legate of that legion didn't decide to hold on to him by whatever means he could. Yes, I draw on "modern" examples, but the human critter has many constants through the ages. The Praetorian posting would be a way to have some homogeneity of loyalty to the emperor instilled in the senior levels of the legions. ...
Okay. I'll leave it off there. I think I'll go do a search on the U of Maui and see if I can find the man's name. He had some interesting research about the cavalry saddle regarding lancer work too.
Marius, I look forward to your return. I hope it is soon. I pray all is well with you when you return.
Bene valete.
C. Aelius Ericius.