Lucius Vorenus

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Lucius Vorenus was a Roman centurion who served in Caesar's army in Gaul. Caesar mentions him together with another centurion, Titus Pullo , in a well-known episode of his war report De bello Gallico , the so-called “Certamen Centurionum” (“Competition of the Centurions”). From this it can be seen that both belonged to the legion, which cannot be identified in more detail, that existed in winter 54/53 BC. BC under the command of Quintus Tullius Cicero in the Nervier area . Like the neighboring winter camp of Titurius Sabinus , the camp of Ciceros was also made by the uprising of Ambiorixaffected and enclosed and besieged by the Gauls. Vorenus and Pullo evidently played an important role in the defense and were particularly emphasized for this by Caesar in his report.

The two figures, otherwise not further attested, were repeatedly taken up in literature and film, for example in the television series Rome .

The "Certamen Centurionum" (De bello Gallico 5.44)

Caesar describes how on the seventh and hardest day of the siege the two rival centurions want to outdo each other in the fight against the enemy. To do this, they leave the fortified camp alone. Before the eyes of the other Roman soldiers who watch from the camp wall, Pullo initially dares to venture too far on his own and, after initial success, finds himself in distress. At the last minute, Lucius Vorenus comes to the aid of his rival and manages to push the enemies back a little and distract them from Pullo. But since he too “advanced too stormily” during this action, Vorenus falls and is in turn surrounded by the enemy. Now it is Pullo who comes to the aid of his rival. Together, the two manage to put down a large number of the enemy and withdraw into the camp unharmed. At the end of the “competition” it is still undecided which of the two is to be regarded as the braver.

The scene, which is undoubtedly exaggerated from a literary point of view and designed according to the rules of ancient historiography, has a real background in the usual rivalry of the centurions, for whose rise up the ladder it was important to be distinguished by special bravery. Pullo and Vorenus are initially characterized as those centurions who have fought head-to-head over their entire career and are now about to be promoted to the top rank of the Primus Pilus . In this respect, their “competition” is not quite as absurd as it could easily appear to a contemporary observer.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Caesar: De bello Gallico 5.44 ( online ).
  2. ↑ “ Erant in ea legione fortissimi viri centuriones, qui primis ordinibus appropinquarent, Titus Pullo et Lucius Vorenus. hi perpetuas inter se controversias habebant, uter alteri anteferretur, omnibusque annis de loco summis simultatibus contendebant . "
personal data
SURNAME Vorenus, Lucius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman centurion
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC BC or 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH uncertain: after 54 BC Chr.