Roman Centurions as Agents of Imperial Power: Delegated Authority and Judicial Functions

Abstract

This article explores the influential role of the Roman centurions in the provincial government of the Roman Empire by analyzing their judicial and administrative powers. The results of modern historiographical research show that the military institution was closely intertwined with the Roman “government without bureaucracy:” the provincial governors’ offices were mainly staffed by military personnel and headed by the first cohort’s centurions. However, their administrative functions, although crucial in governing the provinces, have been insufficiently studied. The judicial power of the centurions has been viewed by scholars in two different ways: either as detrimental to the central government due to possible abuse by military personnel or as exceptional because it was not needed in the Romanized and urbanized areas of the empire. Here, based on the epigraphic evidence and papyrus data, the judicial and administrative duties of the centurions, including those delegated by the Roman imperium’s holders, are considered. Their involvement in the work of the municipal authorities is discussed. The conclusion is made that it was quite common for the centurions to hold extra managerial powers. In many cases, this was deemed legitimate as it did not contradict Roman law and stemmed from the long-established Roman practices.