Principes

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For botanical uses (capitalized) see Principes (botany)

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 Republican Army. They were experienced soldiers, positioned behind the hastati and in front of the triarii. Like all soldiers of the pre-Marian 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. The principes were organized like the hastati, into 10 maniples of 120 men per legion each under two centurions in small centuries of 60 men each.

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 Octavian particularly targeted the politically unlucky men of principes status.

Notes

References

Primary Sources

Polybius. The Rise of the Roman Empire. Trans. Ian Scott-Kilvert. New York: Penguin Books, 1979.

Secondary Sources

Holland, Tom. Rubicon. New York: Anchor Books, 2003.
Gruen, Erich S. The Last Generation of the Roman Republic. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995.
Syme, Ronald. The Roman Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press, 1956.

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