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In the Roman army of the late Republic and the Principate, the tribunus laticlavius ("broad-striped tribune") was one of the six military tribunes in a legion. Usually, it consisted of young men around age 20 who belonged to a wealthy family or were friends with the legate. The position of tribunus laticlavius was the first step on the Cursus honorum. Tribunus laticlavius are typically depicted wearing a purple cloak.

Overview

The tribunus laticlavius were second in command to the legatus legionis, the legion's commander. They were also above the other five tribuni angusticlavii and later the praefectus castrorum. It was common for the tribunus laticlavius to be a Roman noble younger than 25 years old, usually around the age of 20. They were commonly either part of the richest families in Rome or a close friend to the legionary commander. It was also common for the tribune to have no previous military experience.

Members of the tribunus laticlavius were part of the senatorial aristocracy. It was common for the tribune to return to Rome and run for a political office, usually a quaestorship after two or three years as a tribune. The position was the first step of the traditional cursus honorum. By the middle of 250s AD, at the earliest, the post of the tribunus laticlavius had disappeared from the Roman army, following the general trend of removal of the senatorial class from military commands.

See also

• List of Roman army unit types
• Centurion
• Legatus
• Primus Pilus
• Decanus
• Praefectus castrorum
• Tribune

References

1. Powell, Lindsay (2013). Germanicus: The Magnificent Life and Mysterious Death of Rome's Most Popular General. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen&Sword Books. ISBN 978-147-382-692-2.
2. Breeze, David (2013). Roman Frontiers in Britain. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-147-253-871-0.
3. ^ Adkins, Lesley (1998). Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. OUP USA.
4. Erdkamp, Paul (2007). A Companion to the Roman Army. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4051-2153-8.
5. Bohec, Yann Le (1994). The Roman Imperial Army. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-22295-8.
6. Birley, Eric (1988). The Roman Army. J.C. Gieben.
7. Greenley, Ben (2017). Myth and Religion. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-135-001-489-3.
8. Millet, Martin (1990). The Romanization of Britain: An Essay in Archaeological Interpretation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-052-142-864-4.
9. D'Amato, Raffaele (2009). Arms and Armor of the Imperial Roman Soldier. Pen&Sword Books: Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 978-147-381-189-8.
10. Brewer, Richard (2000). Caerleon and the Roman Army: Roman Legionary Museum: a Guide. National Museums & Galleries of Wales. ISBN 978-072-000-488-5.
11. Southern, Pat (2001). The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine. London and New York: Routledge. p. 92. ISBN 0-203-45159-7.

• Military ranks of ancient Rome