Everything about Legatus totally explained
A
legatus (often
anglicized as
legate) was a general in the
Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of
senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the
dux, and he outranked all military
tribunes. In order to command an army independently of the
dux or provincial governor, legates were required to be of
praetorian rank or higher; a legate could be invested with
propraetorian imperium (
legatus propraetore) in his own right. Legates received large shares of the army's booty at the end of a campaign, which made the position a lucrative one, so it could often attract even distinguished consulars (for example, the consular
Lucius Julius Caesar volunteered late in the
Gallic War as a legate under his
first cousin once removed,
Julius Caesar).
The men who filled the office of Legate were drawn from among the senatorial class of
Rome. There were two main positions; the
legatus legionis was an ex-
praetor given command of one of Rome's elite
legions, while the
legatus propraetor was an ex-
consul, who was given the governorship of a Roman province with the magisterial powers of a praetor, which in some cases gave him command of four or more legions.
This rank was also the overall Legionary commander. This post was generally appointed by the emperor. The person chosen for this rank was a former
Tribune and held command for 3 or 4 years, although he could serve for a much longer period. In a
province with only one legion, the Legatus was also the provincial governor, but in provinces with multiple legions, each legion had a Legatus and the provincial governor (who was separate from the legions) had overall command of them all.
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