Abstract
This chapter examines the most basic and fundamental concepts of authority that defined the early military commander in Roman tradition, and it attempts to create a foundation from which to chart the evolution of military command in later periods. More specifically, the chapter looks at the three most fundamental types of authority exercised by military commanders: the potestas they (eventually) held as civil magistrates, the auspicium they possessed as intermediaries between the state and its gods, and the imperium they wielded as military commanders. The imperium in particular is defined as the singular and indivisible authority of military command that was forbidden within the civilian sphere of Rome except in dire emergencies.
Published Version
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