Classiarius


Classiarii referred to all military personnel and personnel assigned to the maneuvering of ships or their construction/maintenance, as part of the Roman navy, an integral part of the Roman army.

History

The core of a naval crew was formed by the oarsmen. Contrary to popular belief, the Roman navy, as well as that of ancient times in general, based its existence on oarsmen of free status, not on slaves, who on the contrary were used only in cases of extreme necessity, so much so that they were then made free prematurely. During the Roman Empire, provincials, not yet Roman citizens but freeborn from Greece, Phoenicia, Syria and Egypt, formed the main core of fleet crews.
During the Republican period, the command of the fleet was entrusted to a magistrate or promagistrate, normally of consular or praetorian rank. During the Punic Wars, for example, one consul commanded the fleet, while the other commanded the land army. In later wars waged in the East, praetors assumed command of the fleet. However, since these men had political appointments, the actual management of fleets or naval squadrons was entrusted to their subordinates, the certainly more experienced legati. It was therefore during the Punic Wars that the figure of the praefectus classis appeared for the first time.
During the early principate, a ship's crew, beyond its size, was nevertheless organized as a centuria. They were framed in fact as soldiers, maneuverers, construction workers and other duties. The personnel of the fleet were considered inferior, not only to those of the legions, but also to those of the auxiliary troops.
As in the Roman army, each ship, organized in centuria, was placed under the command of a centurio classiarius, who had in the optio his most trusted subordinate. The beneficiarius, on the other hand, lent a hand at the administrative level. Among the crew there were a certain number of both principales and immunes, exactly as was the case in the auxiliary troops.
Regarding high command, on the other hand, during the imperial period, with Augustus the praefectus classis became procurator Augusti, at the head of each permanent fleet. These posts were initially filled by those who belonged to the equestrian order, or beginning with Claudius, by his freedmen, thus ensuring direct imperial control over the various fleets. With the Flavian dynasty, the status of praefectus was entrusted only to knights with military experience, who had made a career in the equestrian militiae. Again, the prefect, though endowed with military experience, was nevertheless a politician with little naval knowledge, so much so that he relied on subordinates.
Great expertise and responsibility was required of the classiarii, particularly of some key figures:
  • the gubernator had to know not only the harbors, but also the rocks, shoals or sandbars present along the shipping route. Great expertise was required of the same during naval clashes, when the helmsman was of paramount importance in finding the best course to strike the opposing ships or to avoid being sunk by the enemy.
  • Navarchs were required to have great attention and skill in commanding the ships' crews.
  • Courage and great physical strength was required of oarsmen, as was necessary during a naval battle, when on the calm sea without a breath of wind, everything was entrusted to the thrust of the oars, in order to strike the opponents with the rostrums and, in turn, avoid being struck and sunk.
Finally, it is estimated that there were about 40,000 to 50,000 classiarii during the Early Roman Empire, organized according to the following hierarchical structure:
Other important roles on ships, probably falling within the group of immunes were, according to an inscription found at Kos during the First Mithridatic War:
  • the gubernator, the stern helmsman;
  • the celeusta, who supervised the oarsmen;
  • the proreta, who watched from the bow of the ship for the right direction, also to avoid possible obstacles;
  • pentacontarchos, a young officer.

    Clothing, weapons and armor

In order to prevent the boats from being recognized when exploring, they were dyed blue, along with their ropes and sails, to better camouflage themselves. The same thing applied to the crew of the classiarii, who wore blue uniforms so that they could remain hidden, not only at night but also during the day.

Length of service and pay

Fleet personnel were divided into two groups: sailors and soldiers. Service lasted 26 years. From the third century it was increased to 28 years of service. Upon discharge sailors were given a severance pay, land and usually also granted citizenship, as they were in the status of peregrini at the time of enlistment. Marriage, on the other hand, was allowed to them only at the end of permanent active service.
There was a substantial difference in stipendium between the high ranks of command: the prefects of the two praetoriae fleets, were classified as procuratores ducenarii, i.e., they earned 200,000 sesterces annually; the prefect of the Classis Germanica, Classis Britannica, and later the Classis Pontica, on the other hand, were procuratores centenarii, while the other prefects were also called procuratores sexagenarii.

''Classiarii'' employed in the legions and auxiliary troops

A Legio XVII Classica, i.e., naval, probably distinct from one under Octavian that bore the same numbering, was part of Mark Antony's army and had to disappear after his defeat at Actium. A similar fate befell the Legio XXX Classica, which appears to have been stationed in Asia in late Republican times.
Two more "naval" legions were, therefore, enlisted under Nero in 68, as well as one of its "twins" in 69 by Vespasian.