Information AboutPrincipes |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PRINCIPES | |
| military units and formations of the roman republic | |
| infantry units and formations of ancient rome | |
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The plural of the Latin word Princeps . ORIGINS Specifically, usually in the plural, in the military, the so-called Principes formed the second line of battle in the Roman Republic an Army . They were experienced soldiers, positioned behind the Hastati and in front of the Triarii . Like all soldiers of the Roman Republican Army, they wore what armor they could afford, which was generally better than that of the hastati; of better make and material. Like the ''hastati'', the Principes were also equipped with a Pilum and a Gladius , and used much in the same way. In battle, the principes were meant to counter attack if the hastati happened to fail in the initial engagement. This would allow for the hastati to fall back without catastrophic losses to the army; the principes could continue fighting, enabling the hastati to regroup. Originally, the principes were organized like the hastati, into 10 maniples of 120 men per legion each under a Centurion . In the period of the later Republic and early Principate (approx. following the Third Punic War and the razing of Carthage ) ''principes'' began to refer not only to the men of the second line of battle in a Manipular/ Polybian Legion, but also to the men of the first rank of Roman Society. The traditional patriaciate of Nobiles and Optimates along with those successful Equites and ''novi homines'' were the first citizens of Rome. Through their '' Dignitas ,'' '' Auctoritas ,'' and '' Virtus ,'' these men commanded the allegiance of the Plebeians and allied Italian states alike. The proscriptions of Sulla and later Octavianus particularly targeted the politically unlucky men of principes status. NOTES REFERENCES Primary Sources
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