The beneficiarii consularis in the western provinces of the Roman Empire
Beneficiarii consularis were members of the military staffs attached to Roman provincial governors of the Principate, and are well attested epigraph!cally, both at provincial capitals and at outposts along major roads and frontiers of the Western military provinces. They were usually experienced legionaries approaching retirement. and were of senior principalis rank. Each legion in a province provided the governor with (probably) sixty men of this rank. The governor's staff (the officium consularis) assisted the governor in ail his duties, administrative, judicial and military, and the beneficiarii were employed in a variety of roles, appearing in the sources as arresting officers, messengers, servants to the governor and general assistants. To indicate their status as officiales of the governor, they carried a decorated lance-symbol when operating away from the officium. In Britain and the two German provinces they were evidently outposted, apparently for periods of six months at a time, along the roads linking the provincial capitals with the frontiers, with neighbouring provinces, and with Rome, in contrast with the other Western provinces where, for the most part, no such stationes are attested. The stationes
Rankov, N. B.
Army ; Staffs ; Officials and employees ; Rome
The beneficiarii consularis in the western provinces of the Roman Empire. Beneficiarii consularis were members of the military staffs attached to Roman provincial governors of the Principate, and are well attested epigraph!cally, both at provincial capitals and at outposts along major roads and frontiers of the Western military provinces. They were usually experienced legionaries approaching retirement. and were of senior principalis rank. Each legion in a province provided the governor with (probably) sixty men of this rank. The governor's staff (the officium consularis) assisted the governor in ail his duties, administrative, judicial and military, and the beneficiarii were employed in a variety of roles, appearing in the sources as arresting officers, messengers, servants to the governor and general assistants. To indicate their status as officiales of the governor, they carried a decorated lance-symbol when operating away from the officium. In Britain and the two German provinces they were evidently outposted, apparently for periods of six months at a time, along the roads linking the provincial capitals with the frontiers, with neighbouring provinces, and with Rome, in contrast with the other Western provinces where, for the most part, no such stationes are attested. The stationes
western province roman_empire member military staff attach roman_provincial governor principate well attest provincial_capital outpost along major road frontier western military province usually experienced approach senior rank legion province provide governor probably sixty men rank governor staff assist governor administrative judicial military employ variety role appear source arrest officer servant governor general indicate status governor carry decorate symbol operate away britain german province evidently apparently period_time along road link provincial_capital frontier neighbour province rome contrast western_province part attest