page_title: Roman army of the mid-Republic
section_title: Senior officers
hierarchical_section_title: Roman army of the mid-Republic / Army structure / Senior officers
caption_attribution_description: English: Sacrifice scene during a census: Midde part of a plaque from the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus known as the “Census frieze”. Marble, Roman artwork of the late 2nd century BC. From the Campo Marzio, Rome. Français&#160;: Scène de sacrifice pendant un recensement&#160;: partie centrale d'une plaque de l'autel de Domitius Ahenobarbus, connue sous le nom de la «&#160;frise du recensement&#160;». Marbre, œuvre romaine de la fin du IIe siècle av. J.-C. Provenance&#160;: Champ de Mars, Rome.
context_page_description: The Roman army of the mid-Republic, also called the manipular Roman army or the Polybian army, refers to the armed forces deployed by the mid-Roman Republic, from the end of the Samnite Wars to the end of the Social War. The first phase of this army, in its manipular structure, is described in detail in the Histories of the ancient Greek historian Polybius, writing before 146 BC.
  The central feature of the mid-Republican army was the manipular organisation of its battle-line. Instead of a single, large mass as in the Early Roman army, the Romans now drew up in three lines consisting of small units of 120 men, arrayed in chessboard fashion, giving much greater tactical strength and flexibility. This structure was probably introduced in ca. 300 BC during the Samnite Wars. Also probably dating from this period was the regular accompaniment of each legion by a non-citizen formation of roughly equal size, the ala, recruited from Rome's Italian allies, or socii. The latter were about 150 autonomous states which were bound by a treaty of perpetual military alliance with Rome.
context_section_description: The Republican army contained no professional officers. Each of the two army corps (of two legions and two alae each) normally levied every year was commanded by one of the two Roman Consuls, the highest of the annually elected magistrates. Equites were exclusively eligible to serve as senior officers of the army.
  Each legion was officered by 6 tribuni militum ("tribunes of the soldiers"), totaling 24 tribunes for the normal levy of 4 legions. These were elected by the people's assembly from the ranks of those equities who had completed at least 5 years' military service, presumably in the cavalry. In those years in which more than 4 legions were deployed, the tribunes needed to command the extra legions were appointed by the Consuls. Pairs of tribunes would take turns to command their legion for two-month terms.
  In addition, equites provided the 3 decurions (decuriones, literally "leaders of ten men") who commanded each turma of cavalry, and the praefecti sociorum, the commanders of the Italian confederate alae, who were appointed by the Consuls. The duplication and rotation of command was a characteristic feature of the Roman Republic, which, from the time of the expulsion of the kings, had always aimed for collegiate offices, to avoid excessive concentration of power (e.g. two Consuls, two Praetors etc.). Equites (and anyone else) who aspired to public office were required to perform at least 10 years' military service, which implies that the minimum age for public office was 27 years (16+10)
  A military tribune wore a bronze cuirass (often engraved), pteruges, a mantle, and an Attic-style helmet with horsehair plume. Unlike lower ranks, officers never adopted mail armour.
caption: A Roman senior officer (centre), of the time of Polybius, as depicted on a bas-relief from the Altar of Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, c. 122 BC. Most likely a tribunus militum (joint legionary commander). Note the plumed Attic helmet, engraved bronze cuirass, mantle, sash indicating equestrian rank, pteruges. The soldier on the left is wearing an Italian version of the Corinthian helmet, which has the face-guard permanently lifted back off the face, but retains its two eye-holes for decoration. Musée du Louvre, Paris
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