>> Not just a modern distinction. In the Roman legions of the late
>> republic and early empire the centurions were long-service men who
>> had come up through the ranks, while the military tribunes were
>> upper-class types serving their stint as part of their career.
>
>And I've tended to assume that there is (or at least can be) this
>sort of distinction in the Lunar army, too. Partly because the Lunar
>army I know is very heavily Roman in bias, partly just because it
>makes for fun gaming. The very young and inexperienced officer (PC)
>with the very experienced centurion NPC/sidekick. Yes, it's a clich=E9.
>And why not?
The difference is the level at which this occurs, in the current structure [1] the lowest commissioned rank is leiutenant in charge of roughly 30 soldiers. There also used to be a trainee officer rank of ensign not actually in charge of anyone. In the Roman army only legates were actually in command, tribunes were there to assist and in some cases report back on the legate. To regard centurions who commanded 80 to 120 soldiers as equivelent to sergeants is misleading. As I mentioned earlier the Carmenians have an even lower level of social class split - squad leaders have to be Hazar caste. So the Lunars could in fact have three distinct levels in the army - rankers, professional soldiers and political appointees.
[1] Pretty much unchanged for the last 300 years.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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