Roman baldness

[Macilrille]

It could be explained quite easily by the fact that wearing a helmet for so much time in your life tends to cause that. Sure, there is padding, but from what I read, many knights in the Medieval times had shiny heads due to the hair being rubbed out by the helmet... Same could happen to the Romans. At the same time, the generals and senior officers had to wear helmets less than the soldiers, I would suppose, but still...

Most patricians would start in the army off higher or at least at the level of a centurion/primus pilus, correct? I do not recollect Roman nobility starting out as that or any lower. At the same time, even the chief commanders of armies would often fight alongside soldiers, and someone such as a legate was certainly expected to fight to hearten the men.

I wonder how accurate that would be?

Patricians would never demean themselves to serve as Centurion, not even if Primus Pilum. AFAICR Patricians served as Military Tribunes or Questors, Centurions were Plebs, most likely from the 2nd and 3rd property class and the Primus Pilum was the most distinguished Centurion. He would often end up in the Equestrian Class from his service, but Patrician he was not!

[Watchman]

Patricians would never demean themselves to serve as Centurion, not even if Primus Pilum. AFAICR Patricians served as Military Tribunes or Questors, Centurions were Plebs, most likely from the 2nd and 3rd property class and the Primus Pilum was the most distinguished Centurion. He would often end up in the Equestrian Class from his service, but Patrician he was not!

Didn't a lot of Equestrians enter the military at Centurion level, though ? It should be recalled it was both a very prestigious, and reasonably senior, rank roughly equivalent to lower-to-middle end modern commissioned officers after all...

[Macilrille]

Didn't a lot of Equestrians enter the military at Centurion level, though ? It should be recalled it was both a very prestigious, and reasonably senior, rank roughly equivalent to lower-to-middle end modern commissioned officers after all...

I do not remember out of hand, but I think it would depend on the period. Equistrians originally had that name because they served in the cavalry as we all know. Usually I would expect a Centurion to come rather from the upper middle class. 2nd and 3rd property class. But for sources I would have to do some digging, which I do not have the time for right now.

[Watchman]

Equistrians originally had that name because they served in the cavalry as we all know.

Well, obviously. Per definition during the early militia system. But wasn't the Primus Pilum position a "post-Marian" one...?

[Macilrille]

Not as far as I know, it is in fact not Primus Pilum (First Spear), but Primus Pilus (First File). Speaking of Rome they made that mistake as well, Lucius Vorenus naming himself "First Spear Centurion" at one occasion

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

That might be because the neuter was already being confused with the masculine in everyday speak: eg. "vinus".

[Fluvius Camillus]

Atia wasnt bald in HBO Rome...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

down below... (yes that was OT)

"insterting huge pro-Rome rally here soon"

~Fluvius