Academia Militaria Tactica, Sarmizegetusa, Transisteria, diocesis of Dacia, April 247
Centurion Appius Aelius Candidinus pested once more against the unknown man who had thought examinations to be a good idea. He’d heard it was in fact a serican invention, brought back by one of the expedition ships going to the far empire every four years, but it was not one import for which he cared, not at all…
Aelius Candidinus had been promoted to the rank of centurion almost a year earlier, following the death from a bad cold of his predecessor. He’d then been sent to the Academia Militaria in the diocesis’ capital, Sarmizegetusa, to study about the arts of war and of administrations.
Discipline in the school was as severe as when he had been a young tiro. The staff, made of former centurions, knew all the tricks. Indeed Aelius Candidinus had learned a few new ones… There was only one liberty night every nundinae but that was not ressented too much by the trainees because they were mostly too tired for more : between the mandatory ceremony of honor to the emperor at the cock’s crow, the physical training that kept them at a peak strength, and the hours of theoretical lessons, wargames, trials simulations and other activities, they had not much time to fool around...
Now he was at the end of his year of schooling, and had to pass the examination… There was a lot of competition going on between the 25 trainees, and this was the culminating moment of this year of friendly rivalry. It was also important because while it was not mandatory to be good, it did help with promotion…
So he now had to answer a large question about the Empire’s administration, and another on the Empire’s army, and then he would have to play judge in a last mock trial before heading for a last boardgame battle competition…
So, the first question… “Describe the Empire’s institutions as best as you can”. Damn, what a broad and treacherous question ! And what of the second question ? “Describe the composition of the army, from the individual soldier to the Emperor, and the strength of each unit.” Ouch. Another broad question ! The headmaster probably wanted to make them pay for the damage they’d done during the last “symposion”, or rather drunken debauchery ! Fair enough, what had been supposed to be a moment to train them in the finer arts of eating with higher ranking officers had been turned into a boisterous drunken food battle… While giving as good as he got, the headmaster had not liked to be crowned with an eel’s head…
So, the structure of the empire’s institutions… Sighing, Aelius Candidinus took his feather, which he’d taken care to carefully sharpen the evening before, and plunged it in his ink pot, starting to scratch his answer.
“The Empire is one although made of what used to be many. Led by its Emperor with the help of the Senate, under the protection of its armies that prevent any external foe from disturbing the peace inside its borders, it is the oikumene and the place where civilization thrive. Its triumph is marked by its victories against its enemies and the greatness of its cities growing in the internal peace and of its monuments born from the genius of its architects and engineers and inventors.
The Emperor is the fount of all orders for both the civilians and the military. Succeeded by his designated heir, chosen by him and the Senate, he can command to all and gives the impetus for all laws as well as looking for their implementation. Taking command of the armies in time of need, the Emperor is a father for the nation, pater patriae, and also a guide for our souls as the high priest of all cults, pontifex maximus, first intermediary between men and the Gods.
His chosen heir has all the same power as the Emperor has, but under him, and none but the Emperor with approval from the Senate can dismiss the heir.
Under the Emperor are four high prefectures, that of Occidens, directed from Lugdunum, Illyria, directed from Serdica, Oriens, directed from Antiocheia, and Africa, directed from Carthage.
Deriving their imperium from the imperial favour, the four governors of prefectures are his voice in the province. They are the ultimate appeal in any judiciary procedure, except for those they decide to refer to the Emperor or those that the Emperor decides for himself to arbiter.
The governors, all former consuls of Rome and thus of the highest families of the Senate, may also take command of armies in time of external threat on the border of their area of imperium, until the Emperor decides to appoint another commander.
In charge of their prefecture for a duration of two years, they can only serve in areas where their families and those of their wifes don’t originate from, as the divine Marcus Aurelius did not want any local dynasty to feel empowered to take control of any region for its own purposes that could be contrary to those of the Empire.
Under them come the 18 vicarii, all former praetors of Rome, responsible for the proper running of the institutions in their diocesis for a duration of two years.
Helped by younger quaestor from the Senate, they look at the way justice is made in the provinces they are responsible for, and act as appeal court. They are also to look into the accounts of the officers in charge of the legions and auxiliary units stationed in their area of responsibility.
As it is the case for the governors of prefectures, it is forbidden for a vicarius to serve in the province from which his family or his wife’s come from.
The diocesis are, in order of prefecture :
- Africae : Mauretania (Caesarea), Africa (Utica), Egypt (Alexandria)
- Occidentalis : Hispania (Tarraco), Gallia (Lutetia), Britannia (Eboracum), Italia (Neapolis), Germania (Augustodunum Germanicum), Albis (Colonia Albia)
- Illyrici : Iazygeia (Aquincum), Dacia (Sarmizegetusa), Thracesis (Serdica), Illyria (Salona), Graecia (Corinthus)
- Orientalis : Asia (Ephesus), Pontica (Sinope), Mesopotamia (Babylon), Syria (Caesarea)
The diocesis are themselve divided into a multitude of provinces, currently numbering 140, under the supervision of a procurator of the equestrian order ranking as a sexagenarii, being granted 60 000 sestertii a year for his office.
Being a level of appeal for cases heard at the local level, they are often the final word on unimportant cases although an appeal is still possible to the diocesian vicarius, yet the need to travel to the diocesian capital often mean people don’t go to that level. They are also the first level of justice in cases where capital offenses are to be tried or when properties and sums of a worth above a thousand sestertii are in play.
Among the duties of the procurator is also the supervision of the tax collection efforts by the locally elected magistrates of the pagi, districts and towns. This is why an equestrian having held such duties before being elevated into the Senate is inducted at the rank of the former quaestors, as decreed by the divine Marcus Petillius Cerialis.
The procurator are also responsible for the main infrastructure of their province, including the canals, bridges and aqueduct that cross the borders of a pagus. This is why a procurator quadragenarii rei machinatorum is appointed to their province, the more junior, although often older, equestrian having followed the cursus of the Academia Militaria Practica of Rome before being appointed to such a position.
If an infrastructure cross between multiple provinces the imperial jurisprudence coming from the rescrit of the divine Titus Valerius Maximus is that the procurator at the end of the aqueduc or at the extremity of a canal or bridge closest to Rome that is in charge of the maintenance on the whole course of the infrastructure, but the other procurators have to contribute funds, resources and manpower from their budget in accordance to the part of the infrastructure that is on their territory (always the half in case of bridges).
In case of major troubles those civilian administrators are authorised to assemble the praesidis units of their territory to confront the threat, but only on the territory on which their imperium is valid, and they will immediately give their power to any owner of the imperium maius sent by the Emperor such as, for instance, the governor of the prefecture or a general appointed to lead an army of multiple legions, although he may never be submitted to the orders of a simple legion legatus not provided with a specific mandate by the Emperor or the governor of the prefecture.
It is to be noted that the procurator, like the vicarius or the governor, may not have his family’s base of power or his wife’s in the province which he has received in his care for his four years mandate.
Under the procurator are the three levels of local magistrature, elected by the locals amongst their own notables. Whereas the three previous positions see a single man hold command for a given territory, those magistratures are still following the old rules of having two men in charge : the magistrates of the pagus, mainly responsibles for roads and security on them, making sure the district and town official do not misbehave while collecting the taxes on trade or while supervising the imperial properties that are also part of their duties.
The pagus magistrate are paid 10 000 sestertii a year for a two years mandate, both to entice them to the function and make it less interesting to cheat, especially as anyone who’s convicted for concussion or stealing from the taxes or from the properties they have to manage is fined between 100 000 and 400 000 sestertii depending on the amount stolen and the richness of the pagus. As such it may be seen as a less desirable position as the former procurator Augusti, which was a much better paid position, but the fact that a pagus magistrate is locally elected means one does have to travel to Rome or provinces far away to exerce it, and thus it is seen as better than the previous arrangement, especially as it does give access to further career in the administration as a procurator quadragenarii.
The district magistrates are only paid 5000 sestertii a year for two years of service, but they do not oversee cases above a value of a thousand sestertii and mainly collect the head tax, the harvest tax and the inheritance tax : while of course some very rich persons have a vicesima hereditatium above 5000 sestertii, the 5% tax on their inheritance is often levied directly in Rome and not in the province so the lower salary is not seen as a problem, especially as if caught cheating they would be fined between 50 000 and 200 000 sestertii.
Finally the town magistrates only receive a thousand sestertii a year, a recent innovation to attract candidates for the function, they are in charge of maintaining the city infrastructure and collect some local taxes such as the one on wood for the bath’s furnaces.
Overall the appearance of the old roman traditions has been preserved, and there is still a cursus honorum for both the senatorial class and the equestrian class that would be recognizable by the divine Augustus.
The young man of senatorial origin who wants to take the seat of his elders will have to first spend a year, from the age of 15 to the age of 16, at the Academia Militaria Principalia, the Princep’s academy, of Rome : there he shall learn discipline and command, before going to the legions where he’ll serve until he is 25 years old, at which time he will be able to become one of the 25 quaestors of the next year.
As quaestor he shall either go to the provinces as assistant to a vicarius or stay in Rome where he may be appointed quaestor to the Princeps or to the Heir, places of great honor, quaestor of Rome itself or quaestor extra-ordinarii tasked with a special mission by the Princeps.
Following the questure he will campaign for a position as one of the 14 edils, a role similar to the one of the town magistrates but limited to one of the 14 sectors of Rome defined by the divine Augustus : responsible for the maintenance of buildings, they are also in charge of religious festivals depending on whether they are plebeians or patricians.
From the age of 30 the young senator can compete for the post of praetor, of which there are 25, most of them being put in charge of the various tribunals inside Rome, a precious experience for those who are going to be designated as vicarii. Those not given a tribunal are kept by the Princeps for special missions, similar to the quaestors extra ordinarii.
While being a vicarius is not necessary to become consul, the two year posting often gives a boost to a career of the man who will then attempt, from the age of 33 (as the youngest age one can try to achieve such a exalted position), to become consul of Rome.
Another career choice possible for the praetor as he exits his charge is to become a legionary commander in the province, in charge for two years of one of the 30 legions, a high honor that can also lead to the honor of the consulate, especially if one manages to crush a barbarian raid or otherwise distinguish himself in his defense of the borders of the empire.
Last but not least, the consulate itself, formerly the highest position in Rome before the avenement of the Empire. It had become somewhat of a tradition for the Emperor to designate the consuls according to ones’ merits or political usefulness, often taking the post himself at least in the beginning of the year so that his name would be given to the year. But following the reforms of the divine Marcus Aurelius the practice of designing suffect consults for just a few day in order to insure having enough provincial governors proved to be less useful and the consulate regained part of its prestige even if the consuls had no imperium outside of the pomerium of Rome.
The prestigious position was a pre required experience before being trusted with one of the highly coveted and extremely powerful position of governor of a prefecture or one of the other senatorial prefecture such as the praefectus urbanus, commander of the urban cohort of Rome, one of the two types of units in charge of the security of the capital.
Similarly the Equestrian order still has its cursus honorum, or rather it has three, depending on whether they wanted to follow the civilian, machinatori or military cursus.
The military career is open to anyone who reaches the rank of centurio primus pilus of a cohors in either a legion or an auxiliary unit. They can either try to reach the rank of centurio primus pilus of one of the thirty legions of Rome, which will give them a shot to the rank of praefectus castrorum, or they can either go to the schola militaria practica to become one of the prised engineers of the empire, or if they can afford it, they can go for the command road, with various options there too.
First in the command road is the position of praefectus cohors quingenaria, commander of 5 centuries of auxiliaries either as an independent command or as one of three in a larger and more common auxiliary cohors equitata miliaria.
The next promotion, after at least two years in the position, could be as tribunus angusticlavus in a legion, one of five officers of equestrian rank at the level of tribune (which he knew from personal experience are much more experienced but less socially important than the five young men of senatorial rank commanding the other cohors of the legion). The tribuni angusticlavi are considered as having the same rank as the civilian sexagenarii officials, as do the usually slightly older tribunus rei machinatorum attached to each legion under the direct orders of the praefectus of the camp after their studies at the schola. The position lasts for another two years.
The next rank they can reach is that of tribune of a cohors equitata miliaria or praefectus castrum, for another two years. Another option is to become one of the 18 praefectus schola tactica, the schools for centurions that existes in each diocese. It makes those officials almost equal in rank to a vicarius, save for the fact they are not part of the Senate, and they are seen as pillar of fidelity toward the emperor for they are charged with the teaching of the imperial doctrina to the officers of the army. Another military option is command of one of the fleet, with the exception of the Misena fleet which is considered the top of the fleet career. Ranked as equal to their centenarii colleagues of the civil service, those few men who reach this elevated level make their cities proud, with many having a statue erected in his honour on the forum of his native town…
From such a position and if they have gone through the machinatorum path, they can become praefectus schola machinatorum, director of the school, or, if they have been prefect of a provincial school of tactics, prefect of the imperial school of tactics, both ranks counting as equal to the civilian trecenarii. They can also of course be granted one of the civilian positions of ducenarii or trecenarii rate, or even reach the pinnacle of the equestrian career as one of the two two years tribune of the praetorian guard.
If they choose instead for the civilian course after their minimum military service they can have one of a range of postings : procurator aquarum, in charge of some specific aqueduc or procurator rei machinatorum were two such entry level positions for those who left the Academia Militaria Practica without wanting to enter a military career. Their rank is called quadragenarii for their only gain 40 000 sestertii per year of service.
Most civilian equestrian are of the sexagenarii rank, including the 140 procurator augusti in charge of the provinces, the procurators a rei privatae managing some particular imperial properties or the praefecti civitatis, special ambassadorial positions sent to client states such as the Bosphorean kingdom where they make sure the interests of Rome are well defended.
The rank of centenarii is often held by some of the men in charge of the central administration of the empire or holding special commissions for the emperor, some of the most famous being the procurator monetae or the ab epistulis latinis and the ab epistulis graecis in charge of the emperor’s correspondence.
The two ducenarii office, bringing 200 000 sestertii a year to those holding those positions, are those of the a rationibus, charged of collecting all taxes, and of the a rei privatae, manager of the Emperor’s private holdings. Some procurator augusti extra-ordinarii are also induced at that rank when necessary.
Above them are the trecenarii offices : the praefectus of the vigilae of Rome, the praefectus annonae in charge of the food transport to Rome, the praefectus Aegypti, a special position responsible only to the emperor that can countermand any order by the vicarius in charge of Aegyptus, with the power to give direct orders to the legions to intervene in civil affairs in the area should he feel the need, orders which not even the senatorial praefectus of Africa can countermand.
Also in this category are the procurator a studiis, in charge of information gathering, the procurator a libellis, who selected and prepared the cases submitted to the Emperor’s judgement and the procurator a cognitionibus, charged with preparing the cases against those the Emperor designates as needing to be investigated.
But the ultimate position of the equestrian cursus honorum is of course that of prefect of the praetorian guard, with its enormous one million sestertii a year salary and unrivalled power in the Empire safe for that of the Princeps and of his heir. “
His feather was in need of resharpening, his hand was cramped from too much writing, but he thought he now had answered properly the first question of his examination… It was his own potential future he’d described there, a career of which he’d never thought but that could be his for the taking. His head spinned with the thought. But it did not have much time. A look at the sandglass in front of the room told him the story : he’d spent a bit less than half his allocated time writing this answer...
