page_title: Castra of ancient Rome
section_title: Castra peregrina
hierarchical_section_title: Castra of ancient Rome / Castra peregrina
caption_attribution_description: English: Mithras born from the rock (petra genetrix), statue dedicated by Aurelius Bassinus, ædituus (curator of the cult installations) of the principia of the castra peregrina of the Imperial horseguards (equites singulares). Marble, age of Commodus. Français&#160;: Mithra naissant de la pierre (petra genetrix), statue consacrée par un dénommé Aurelius Bassinus, ædituus (gardien des lieux de culte) des principia de la caserne des pérégrins, unité de la Garde impériale à cheval (equites singulares). Règne de Commode. Italiano: Mitra che nasce dalla roccia (petra genetrix), statua dedicata da Aurelio Bassino, ædituus (custode dei luoghi sacri) dai principia (parte centrale) della caserma dei peregrini, un corpo della guardia a cavallo dell'imperatore (equites singulares). Età di Commodo. AE 1980, 48: Petram genetricem / Aur(elius) Bassinus aedituus / principiorum cast(rorum) pereg(rinorum) / dedicavit hoc in l&lt; o = D &gt;co et d(onum) d(edit) / antistante A(ulo) Caedicio / Prisciano eq(uite) R(omano) patre
context_page_description: The castra of ancient Rome represent the complex of camps that housed the various military corps located in the city of Rome.
context_section_description: They were the headquarters of the secret service of the Empire, made up of peregrine milites such as the frumentarii and the speculatores. The soldiers of the legions, who stationed in the provinces and obtained particular merits in the field, could in fact be detached to the capital for particular functions (as happened for the frumentarii and the speculatores).
  The speculatores (Latin for "explorers" or rather "espionage officers") were in fact in charge of gathering informations in all the provinces of the Empire and of the security of the State; the frumentarii (Latin for "couriers" or better "secret police" assigned to internal security) were those who - in Rome and in the provinces of Italy - "probed everyone's secrets", that is, they were assigned to internal control and therefore to the security of institutions such as the Senate and the Emperor. They were commanded by the princeps peregrinorum, responsible for the global security of the State, which, in its functions, reported directly to the Emperor.
  They had an independent barracks - not even subject to the control of the urban cohorts and of the Praetorian Guard - located in the Caelian Hill, whose remains were found close to the Basilica of St. Stephen in the Round and in the excavations below the church itself. Inside there was a temple dedicated to Iuppiter Redux, but also other cults were practiced, as evidenced by the presence of a mithraeum. The structures show various phases and reconstructions between the 2nd and the 4th century. Some scholars assume that the construction of this camp was started by Augustus, at the time of the division of the city of Rome into 14 regiones.
caption: Mithra born from the rock (petra genetrix), statue dedicated by the ædituus (guardian of the sacred places) Aurelius Bassinus, from the principia (central part) of the castra peregrina. Marble, age of Commodus.
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