Centuries.

[Gaius Octavius]

I would like to know how Roman citizens were apportioned into centuries at the very beginning?

When legionaries were needed, how were they chosen within each century? Were there 30 centuries to begin with?

[Pompieus]

Since the centuries originally represented the entire levy of the Roman state, the 18 centuries of equites and the 85 centuries of iuniores, or perhaps only the 40 centuries of iuniores in the Ist class, may have actually had 100 men each. The centuries of seniores were probably smaller, and the unarmed centuries of musicians fabri and the proletarii are anybody's guess.

 

This is discussed by G.W. Botsford Roman Assemblies and L.R. Taylor Roman Voting Assemblies

[Caesar CXXXVII]

I would like to know how Roman citizens were apportioned into centuries at the very beginning?

When legionaries were needed, how were they chosen within each century? Were there 30 centuries to begin with?

 

 

At the very beginning ? It is one of the most intense debates regarding ancient Rome . I will not bother you with the 4,328 theories (sorry , it is 4,329 since the last 2 minutes) but will go straight to (IMHO) the best one -

 

The citizens registered in the 4 urban tribes (adult males fit for service) were divided into 2 classes - The "Classis" (haevy infantry , Hoplites) and the "Infra Classem" (light infantry , "Velites") .

The "Classis" in every tribe were than divided in to 60 equal Centuries each contain 25 soldiers in theory . Than they took the 25 from each of the 4 tribes to build a century of 100 soldiers , again , a theoretical number (it could be 70 , 80 or 113) . So now you have 6,000 haevy infantry and 60 centuries . The "Infra Classem" had 24 centuries = 2,400 Velites . The Cavalry was made of the young Patricians (for the most part) to build 6 centiries of "Equites" = 600 .

 

So the "Tulian" army was of 9,000 soldiers (6,000 Hoplites , 2,400 "Velites" and 600 "Equites") and the early "Comitia Centuriata" was of 90 centuries (the 6 "Sex Sufragia" , the 60 "Classis" and the 24 "Infra Classem") .

 

Polybius said thet the early "Legio" was of 4,200 infantry . If you have 2 "Praetores" that is Consuls from c. 500 BCE than you take the 8,400 infantry and get 4,200 for each of the Consuls .

 

9,000 adult males fit for service = some 15,000 males = 30,000 free born citizens for "Tulian" Rome . According to The CAH Vol. 7/2 there were between 25,000 to 40,000 free born citizens in "Tulian" Rome .

Edited January 27, 2007 by Caesar CXXXVII