The election of centurions during the Republican period

This article argues that during the Republican period, Roman soldiers elected their own centurions, based on a confluence of literary, philological, and epigraphic evidence. The practice of elective officership has significant implications for our understanding of Roman mili¬ tary leadership and the dynamics of the Republican-era army. The elec¬ tion of centurions is also relevant in the ongoing discussion about the broader political culture of the Roman Republic, as the rank represented an important elective office available to citizens outside of the aristo¬ cratic political class.