In 60 BCE, the highest-ranking figures in the military of the @Roman Republic occupy positions that blend professional command, social prestige, and political leverage. These ranks sit at the top of the army’s hierarchy and often serve as bridges between the battlefield and Roman public life.
At the pinnacle of the professional soldier’s career stands the Primus Pilus. He is the senior centurion of the entire legion and the most respected man in its ranks. Commanding the first century of the first cohort, the Primus Pilus oversees discipline, training, and battlefield execution at the highest tactical level. His authority is immense; even tribunes and legates listen to him. By tradition, he serves a one-year term in this role, after which he is often elevated socially, sometimes entering the equestrian order. His pay and spoils make him wealthy, and his experience grants him influence far beyond the legion.
Below him in prestige but still among the elite are the Senior Centurions of the first cohort. These men command the most experienced soldiers in the legion and are trusted with critical positions in battle. They are career professionals, hardened by decades of service, and form the backbone of Roman battlefield reliability. Their voices carry weight in councils of war, and their loyalty is invaluable to any commander.
Above the centurionate stand the Tribuni Militum, military tribunes. In 60 BCE, these are usually young men of senatorial or equestrian families beginning their political careers. While they outrank centurions officially, their authority is more administrative and ceremonial. Tribunes oversee logistics, discipline, and communication between the legion and higher command. Their true power lies not in experience but in social standing and future ambition.
Over the tribunes is the Legatus Legionis, the legion’s commanding officer. Appointed by the Senate or by a powerful patron, the legate is a senator entrusted with strategic command. He directs campaigns, negotiates with allies and enemies, and represents Roman authority in the field. His success or failure can define his political future. Loyalty to a general like Caesar or Pompey often matters more than loyalty to Rome itself.
Above individual legions stands the Proconsul or Propraetor, a magistrate granted imperium over an entire province or theater of war. He commands multiple legions, controls provincial administration, and holds near-absolute authority within his command zone. In 60 BCE, men in these roles are often the most powerful figures in the Republic outside Rome itself.
At the very top is the Imperator, not a formal rank but an honorific granted by soldiers to a victorious commander. Being hailed imperator is a declaration of supreme military authority and the first step toward a triumph. In this era, imperatores are men like Julius Caesar and Pompey, whose armies are loyal to them personally. Their power transcends rank, resting on victory, wealth, and devotion.
Together, these high-ranking positions form the apex of Roman military society. From the Primus Pilus, who embodies discipline and earned authority, to the imperator, who commands loyalty on a continental scale, these ranks define how Rome fights, conquers, and ultimately governs its world.
@The World:
@Rome
@Asia Minor
@Tripolitania
@Hispania
@Epirus
@Macedonia
@Achaea
@Crete
@Cyprus
@Sicilia
@Sardinia
@Corsica
@Judaea
@Syria
Roman:
@Titus Pullo
@Lucius Vorenus
@Mark Antony
@Gaius Julius Caesar
@Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus
@Mark Antony
@Tullus Vagnius Titillus
@Spurius Rufius Octobrianus
@Drusus Caerellius Porphyrius