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Irregular Legionary Commands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

D. C. A. Shotter
D. C. A. Shotter
Affiliation:
The University of Lancaster
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Extract

Tacitus writes that, by insisting that legionary legates who had not so far held the praetorship should immediately proceed to that office, Asinius Gallus ‘altius penetrare et arcana imperii temptari’. In C.Q. N.S. xvi (1966), 327, I suggested that this demand of Gallus’ was probably probing dangerously deeply into and perhaps threatening to wreck the carefully worked-out imperial promotions system, the working of which has been examined by Birley.

It is the purpose of this note to look at a number of examples of such irregularity, which, though not as early as the debate during the course of which Gallus made his suggestion, do at least illustrate the process later in the Julio-Claudian era.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , December 1969 , pp. 371 - 373
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1969

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References

1 Ann. 2. 36. 1–2.

2 Birley, E., ‘Senators in the Emperors’ Service’, PBA xxxix (1953), 197 ff.Google Scholar

3 ‘Ti. Plautio M. f. Ani. Silvano Aeliano, pontif, sodali Aug., IlIvir. a.a.a.f.f., q. Ti. Caesaris, legat. leg. V in Germania, pr. urb., legat. et comiti Claud. Caesaris in Brittannia, consuli, procos. Asiae, legat. pro praet. Moesiae ….

4 ILS 6385.

5 For the significance of this see Birley, E., op. cit. 204.Google Scholar

6 For the difficulty see Syme, R., Tacitus (Oxford, 1958), ii. 652;Google Scholar