PRIMUS PILUS
Cn. Pompeius Homullus Aelius
This man was probably a Spaniard, and Gracilis Cassianus Longinus grandson of the legate of Gallia Belgica in AD58 who is mentioned by Tacitus (Annals XIII, 52). We only know his later career as a senior officer in the Roman Army, starting with the post of Primus Pilus in the legion around the early 90AD’s. He next held three commands in Rome: Tribune of the III Cohort of the watch, Tribune of the X Urban Cohort, and Tribune of the V Praetorian Cohort. Next he held a second primipilate, with Leg X Fretensis in Palestine, for which he won decorations of Torques, Armilae and Phallerae, a Golden Crown and the hasta pura. In about AD98, he became procurator of Britain and then jumped a number of steps to become the Imperial Procurator of the twin provinces of Lugdunensis & Aquitania. His final post, before a death in middle age, was as Procurator of the Imperial Treasury. This post was only open to equestrians during AD103 – 114, under Hadrian, and his Spanish ancestry is believed to have helped achieve the two final positions under an Emperor who – like his successor – favoured his fellow countrymen.
L. Aemilius Paternus
This man was one of four children of L. Aemilius Maternus and Fabia Fusca who lived in Isona, on the southern edge of the Pyranees. They were in the voting-tribe of the Galerii, and Paternus was first the personal assistant to a Senator. He then secured centurionates in VII Gemina, I Minervia, VII Claudis P.F., XII Gemina, before centurionates in the X Urban Cohort and then IV Praetorian Cohorts. In this he reached the position of 2 I/C, before transfer to the legion and then it’s Primus Pilus. During his earlier career,he twice won decorations of torques, armillae, phallerae, and the corona vallari during the two phases of Trajan’s second Dacian war. He won them probably whilst serving with I Minervia, VII Claudia, or XIIII Gemina. He won them a third time whilst with IV Praetorian, part of Trajan’s bodyguard on his Parthian campaign in AD115+ . It seems he may have died whilst Primus Pilus, aged around 42, in the early AD120’s, and his memorial was set up by an Atilia Vera, possibly his sweetheart at home. He himself had to dedicate a memorial to his brother M. Aemilius Fraternus, shortly before. His sister Aemilia Materna married an important relative, whose family held the hereditary post of Provincial Flamen for the province of Tarraconensis. She died whilst their parents were still alive: unlike her brothers. The brother Fraternus started of on a similar military career to Paternus, getting the post of personal assistant to a senator and then going straight on to Tribunus Militum in a legion which is un-named. It is possible this was XXI Rapax, which earned Damnatio memoriae after its defeat in AD92. This would have ended Fraturnus’s career, and persuaded his brother to take the harder course through the centurionate than going for the normal equestrian one of the tres militiae.
