Missives

The New Testament’s inclusion of specific members of society is actually quite insightful.  Multiple accounts mention the class of centurion (Centurio); for instance, Matthew 8:5-13 (Jesus healed a centurion’s paralyzed servant), Acts 10:1 (Cornelius of the Italian regiment), Acts 22:25 (“take heed what thou doest [to Paul] for this man is a Roman”), Acts 23:23 (two centurions and their soldiers escorting Paul to safety to Felix the Governor), and Acts 28:16 (the centurion suffered Paul to dwell by himself with a soldier).  What can we know of their character, and what might it inform us about Jesus?

The Centurio originally led 100 soldiers (known as a century) but was later reduced to only 80 men. The basic Roman armed unit was the Legion, headed by a Legate, consisting of 5-6,000 soldiers and officers. Legions were divided into cohorts and further into centuries. Both divisions were led by centurions.

The lowest class was the Recruit, who after a 4-month trial joined the Milites class. If he was illiterate, his job was hard manual labor such as building a siege ramp.  Skilled recruits became Immunes who received the same pay but were exempt from physical labor.  They served as engineers, doctors, and musicians.  Recruits could rise to an Exacti (bookkeeper), Cerarii (wax provider), or Librarii (kept track of official documents). Their annual pay was 252 denari.

As skills and experience increased, so did their pay and responsibilities.  The Sesqiplicarii class received 1.5x base pay with the task of monitoring men and equipment. The Armorum Custodes safeguarded and maintained the weapons and the Tessararii served as the watch chief in charge of camp security. Exemplary soldiers achieved Duplicarii with twice the pay.  These officers included the Signiferi who bore the century standard plus other admin duties such as overseeing the soldiers’ financial payroll and benefits; Optiones were handpicked soldiers that were second in command; and Frumentarii managed the legion’s grain supply and food contracts or provided intel and surveillance services.  The Beneficiarii were trusted soldiers under a Legate (Legati) responsible for special assignments abroad (Consularis).  Others included the Aquilifer who carried the century’s unique eagle standard; the Speculatores who oversaw intelligence, arrests, and executions; Commentarienses who managed staff correspondence and decisions made by governors; Corniculari who served as the highest-ranking office heads to Tribunes, Legates or Governors; and Optio Ad Sem Ordines who awaited promotion.

Historians identified paths to promotion by analyzing Legionaires’ tombstones who rarely omitted carving their life’s career path.  Centurions were normally selected from the ranks of Duplicarii (see diagram below). Typically, one became a centurion after 13-20 years.  The most likely promotion path was through Tessararii, Beneficiarii or Speculatores.  By the time a man achieved the class, he would be well trained in battle, highly skilled at leadership, and well respected by his men - all critical skills for any military. Centurions always commanded from the front lines of battle, suffering similar wounds as the men under their command.  They would be called up by Governors for regional status and advice, and thus must be able to properly research facts and communicate them clearly to senior leadership. They were fully developed in multiple areas of expertise —intelligent, articulate, yet strong enough to fight alongside new recruits.  Centurions were a man’s man.

A centurion typically led 1 Optio, 2 Cornicularii, 2 Commentarienses, 10 Speculatores, 30-60 Beneficiarii, ~10 Frumentarii, and ~40 Immunes.   From Roman records, we read about Servanis, who led the 2nd Legion for 61 years, dying at age 86.  No wonder Julius Caesar thought of his centurions as the backbone of the Roman Army.  Not all centurions had equal responsibility.  The cohort level 2-10 Centurio led 80 men, while a cohort level 1 Centurio led 160 of the best men.  The Centurio Prefectus Castrorum directed over 1,000 men and provided region-wide camp management and logistics. Their modern equivalent rank would range from Major to 1-star Brigadier General. 

Jesus stunned several of these honorable and battle-hardened men with His words. At Jesus’ death on the cross, after crying in a loud voice, the centurion said surely this was the Son of God. Luke also records one responding, certainly this was a righteous man. Pontius Pilate, who would have been a high-ranking centurion, said I find no fault in this man. Jesus was, and is, the Lord of lords, the captain of the Lord’s host, and a man of war. This is hardly the limp-wristed, weak, effeminate “jesus” shown in movies!

Info and picture source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQXkokRE8K4