Primus Pilus

The same Marcus Aurelius also strongly encourages the use of oppium in "Meditations".

LOL, good luck with that. The principate just allows the flexibility to make these rather arbitrary decision but still maintain some semblence of historic possibility.

It would certainly help to reconcile the issues at hand... in addition to eliminating the speculation on why nothing was ever said by contemporaries about this particular oddity in Caesar's career.

Ahh now I see the confusion that is member groups vs. post ranks. Two separate things. I wouldn't worry so much about this stuff guys... it's all for fun while just trying to be somewhat reflective of the Roman world. And I didn't realize that somebody had that many posts.. I'll update the list Found an error too, Praetor was well out of place. anyway here goes... Tiro 1 Miles 10 Imaginifer 25 Optio 50 Signifer 100 Aquilifer 150 Centurio 200 Primus Pilus 250 Tribunus Angusticlavius 300 Senator 400 Tribunus Laticlavius 500 Aedile 600 Quaestor 800 Legatus Legionis 900 Praetor 1000 Propraetor 1100

One isn't. One attains the rank of Senator (in this case) after serving as Tribunus Angusticlavius which is the last Equestrian rank in the list. Legatus Legionis is rather non-descript, does not signify class rank such as Senatorial Proconsul or Equestrian Praefectus Provincialis and could be filled by either class. [edit] though by definition a Legatus Legionis was of traditional senatorial rank, but this is the principate I am trying to relate here. At any rate it's still ok at its position in the list.

Yes you are quite correct. The idea is... one works his way up from: Tiro (recruit) through the enlisted ranks of the legion, before he joins the Senate and has some new opportunities, including a return to the military. Is it a perfect union? Hell no it isn't, but we tried to add just a bit of variety to the equation and its a bit reflective of the anything goes era of the principate. Here's an update. Tiro 1 Miles 10 Imaginifer 25 Optio 50 Signifer 100 Aquilifer 150 Centurio 200 Primus Pilus 250 Tribunus Angusticlavius 300 Senator 400 Tribunus Laticlavius 500 Aedile 600 Praetor 700 Quaestor 800 Legatus Legionis 900

Additionally we just made some changes to the rank structure to incorporate some senatorial ranks in with the military structure. Some of the individual titles of members may have changed as a result. The application was quite arbitrary so if anyone should eventually find that they don't like or understand the order of things, you know where to find us.

Hmm, I changed it to viri yesterday... could just be a cookie issue perhaps? [edit] No I see what you mean.. the "forum led by". Changing that now [edit part 2] No I already did change that... still must be a cookie issue.

You get the satisfaction of knowing that you have a voice. I wouldn't be here if I didn't already know that, and the forum would be the worse for it. By the by QVS (in reply to a PM), our 'post count ranks' are largely military titles and therefore not in need of editing. I am double checking to make sure they are all consistent in singular form though.

Youth soccer is actually enormously popular all over the US. For whatever reason... the kids just stop playing when they get older. Maybe because there isn't any money to be had in North America by playing it on a professional level. I suppose there has always been sort of a general notion in the US that soccer is for perfect for children but that adult males should play other more American sports. Not sure why that is really. Simple tradition for the most part I assume. Anyway, I did enjoy the World Cup very much this year though even without a vested interest after the opening round... Though now soccer fades from my general zone of awareness for another 4 years... Congrats Italia

Moved this to the arena, as I anticipate broken record Bush bashing followed by reactionary attacks against liberals by Bush supporters/conservatives. Have at it.

I believe this is it... Clades Variana and a forum Old forum? both seem largely defunct now.

No I'm Spartucus! Anyway.. was this the movie that was made for the TNT studios? If so, I didn't think it was bad although my memory of it is fairly scant. However, I'm still partial to the Kirk Douglas version simply for sentimental reasons, despite its numerous flaws.

And for what its worth... this was written as a piece of the Marcus Aurelius bio and was not intended as an actual independent bio of Verus.

Just fixed the member group structure

I waited a bit to make sure this did not seem to be part of something more sinister, so this is not exactly breaking news but still. Moron If someone feels the need to end it all, far be it for me to talk a complete stranger out of it... but please use some decency and just fall on your sword rather than taking out a whole damned building and injuring bystanders, firefighters and rescue workers in the process. How does one knock down an entire building upon oneself and live anyway? [Edit] and if he was depressed before...

Yes, there is the same inconsistency with Patrician (patricii), Plebeian (Plebes, Plebs or Plebeii) and Equestrian (equites). I should also make servus plural (servi). Though I suppose the average passerby would more easily recognize Patrician and Plebeian vs. Patricii/Plebes?

Yes, mysterious origin or not, all evidence seems to suggest a fairly recent origin. Other claims indicating more distant beginnings have a stench of being misleading or perhaps even deliberate forgery. Are you referring to the one in the Scorpius constellation? Bad science. No not really... only a simple observation that people seem to have a tendency to add many years to such things that are "mysterious" in origin.

As an aside I was looking for a good sample of the Gloria Exercitus coin just for the hell of it but I couldn't find a legible image. In so doing I was struck instead by a Constantine Solidus which had the obverse legend Gloria Reipublicae. Interesting that some 350 years into the imperial period, a veiled idea of the old Republic was still being lauded. Anyway... any suggestions for altering the Postilla Historia Romanorum or the Hora Postilla Thermae are also welcome.

Thanks, but I am told that the C is directly related to the S in SPQR and the A is directly related to the R. I am still searching. Thank you for your help. Gunner At first thought it might be a reference to the renaming episode of Commodus... but Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana doesn't work either. Commodus also temporarily altered the way the acronym was referred to... Populus Senatusque Romanus rather than Senatus Populesque Romanus, but clearly this doesn't fit either. Otherwise if its not in reference to a colony, I'm completely at a loss. Where did you hear of this? Is it an ancient inscription of some sort?

Hehe, I think there is a reason these words are lost

Yes, mysterious origin or not, all evidence seems to suggest a fairly recent origin. Other claims indicating more distant beginnings have a stench of being misleading or perhaps even deliberate forgery.

Its a very common coin obverse legend throughout the later 3rd and 4th centuries. The idea of the coinage was to pay homage and ensure loyalty to the legions by giving "Glory to the Army". Its context is actually quite correct in the way it is intended. Yup that's a bad one. I agree that it doesn't sound all that great. I've sort of been hoping for a better suggestion. "Arena" seemed boring to me personally, but I suppose it would look better. What would the proper context be then?

What errors? Actually, just fixed them.. thanks for that, those are the types of little things that I am eternally grateful to have pointed out. I use this as an excuse a bit too often, but it really is quite difficult to spot your own errors sometimes, and the input of any editor makes for a much better article. That chronology page was put together so long ago that is in need of some serious linking updates. I'm afraid to go through some other old pages for that very same reason.

I'm not sure why you think it had such a bad track record. I suppose that is subjective though. Are you referring to loyalty or performance in battle? Sure perhaps it took a beating at the hands of the Eburones during the Gallic Wars, but consider its performance over the next 5 centuries and your opinion may change... 57 BC... Recruited by Caesar and involved against the Nervians 53 BC... destroyed by the Eburones but reconstituted the same year 52 BC... certainly present at Alesia 49 BC... Victory over Pompeian forces in Hispania 48 BC... Defeat at Dyrrachium and victory at Pharsalus 46 BC... Victory in Africa Retirement and eventual reconstitution by Octavian but was not involved in any major engagements of the civil war between the triumvirs Early 1st cent. AD - With Tiberius against the Marcomanni and suppressed the major revolt in Pannonia Was certainly involved in some of the campaigns of Germanicus after Teutoburg and effectively guarded the frontier for several decades. 43 AD - Claudian invasion of Britain 60's AD - Victory over Boudicca 69 AD - maintained its defensive position in the Balkans during the civil war following the death of Nero 70 AD - defeated the Batavian revolt 80's AD - Domitian's Germanic campaigns 101 - 106 AD - Heavy fighting in Trajan's Dacian Wars 160's - 180's - Parthian war of Lucius Verus and Germanic Wars of Marcus Aurelius 193 AD - Supported the eventual winner in the civil war... Septimius Severus The third and fourth centuries are sort of a muddled mess of course, but nothing suggests that anything terrible befell them. The legion successfully maintained Carnuntum and defended the Danube border for about 2 and a half centuries. Perhaps not deserving of military immortality, but certainly not a bad history by any means.