Roman Legates
Politicians Commanding The Roman Army

Roman legates (Legati Augusti Legionis) the officers commanding Caesar's legions, were the most senior officers in the Roman Army. They were also, usually, temporary amateurs.

Don't get me wrong, some were gifted amateurs. Take the Divine Julius. He was a politician first and a soldier when it suited him. When he was a soldier he was a good one. So was the Divine Augustus. He was also the best dressed. (see Towns, Imperial Cult)

The Caesars and their top officers were fond of wearing that armor you see on so many statues. The breastplate was molded to look like his manly chest was painted gold. (It made anybody's chest look manly.) Very pretty, even more expensive but not much protection. It made a man a wonderful target. (I'll have my scribe find you a picture)

They got away with that nonsense because - unless things went horribly wrong - they never had to fight . We did look after our commanders, you know. The last legion, I know of, that let its legate get the chop, was docked a year's pay. We try to keep them at the back - out of harm's way.

In a fortress, it was easy to find the legate's house. The Praetorium was right next to the headquarters and pretty much the same size. Well, you wouldn't expect a senator to live in the barracks with the rest of us plebes, would you? He also needed space for his family and whole household, who usually traveled with him.

Roman Legates were often politicians who thought commanding a legion was the route to getting rich and becoming the governor of a Province and getting richer. It could be - if they got it right. Some of them even started civil wars so they could be Emperor. I'm happy to say that was after my time.

The most 'famous' legate of my uncle's time was Senator Varus, a lawyer, who didn't take the advice of the Divine Julius and listen to his centurions. He only listened to his German 'allies'. Varus marched into the German forests and was never seen again - nor most of the men he commanded. He lost three legions and broke the heart of the Divine Augustus.

Perhaps that made the emperors a bit more careful about who they appointed as legates. It certainly should have.

Roman Legates Were An Exclusive Club - Senators Only

Only certain people had ever been given command of one of the emperor's legions with all its auxiliary troops (About ten thousand men). They were all senators.

A Roman legate was around 35 years old. He would have held some very responsible government post - like Praetor or even Consul, high legal or financial positions - to show he could get things organized. Rome did organization better than anyone - ever!

Nobody really elected Roman senators, certainly not in my day. In the Republic (BA - Before Augustus), they were as good as born to the job.(Their Families paid or 'convinced' enough people to vote for them to ensure they became Praetors and the eldest son was a senator.)

In the Empire, they were appointed by Augustus and the later emperors. (They had been appointed by earlier 'dictators' who needed to rebalance the senate in their favor.) The sons of noble (patrician) families, who were in favor with Caesar, were just confirmed as senators when they were old enough.

If a man was only born into a knightly (equestrian) family, he had to became a millionaire, somehow. He would really need several million. A senator was not supposed to lower himself by doing business - so our wannabe general would need some serious savings to live on.

(I would just like to mention, in passing, that basic army pay is 225 Denarii a year. At four sesterces to the denarius, a senator's 1 million sesterces property qualification would be 1,111 years of a soldier's pay.)

With his money accounted for, the would-be Roman legate had to ask all his important friends to pester the emperor to make him a senator, just like them. If Caesar was in a good mood (and a suitable present had arrived), he was in.

Then it got harder. Those senators who were happy to recommend him, might want to be generals too. There were never more than thirty Roman legates at one time. There were usually hundreds of senators. Former Consuls had a running start.

There's a lot of money to be made, commanding a Legion.

What do you mean, how? You must have heard of the 'spoils of war'.

No? NO!?!

It means 'the winners - especially their officers - take everything worth having from the losers'. Everyone's always done it.

Ordinary soldiers, like I was, took jewelry and good weapons or armor from dead bodies and prisoners. Sometimes, we got a prisoner or two to sell as slaves. More often, they all got sold to the dealers who followed us about and we each got our share of the money. All shares were not the same size.

Our officers got bigger shares than we did. Who do you think got the biggest share of all - except for the emperor, of course? You guessed it! Our general. Remember, senators cannot engage in business. Spoils of war were ok!

So, to get command of a legion, he had to compete against his fellow senators to make the best impression on the emperor, who appointed all the generals - who got rich.

Ergo (that means 'therefore') you had to look loyal. Think of one of those little dogs that sits on peoples' laps.

Must do's for wannabe Roman legates.

Only vote for things the Emperor wants to happen.

Make speeches praising whatever he has done or plans to do.

Make speeches praising his favorites for every appointment.

Spend a fortune on a banquet and invite him as guest of honor.

Do not pinch asses (pennies) on his birthday present.

Get Noticed! In the best possible way.

All of the above is a real good deal for the emperor. Everyone is looking for new ways to make him happy.

Every legate needed some earlier military experience. Even before Varus, no one gave a legion to a man who had never been inside an army camp.

Sadly, all of the above would have been wasted if he never bothered to get a commission as a tribune, when he was younger.

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