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Description
Campidoctores were highly esteemed non-comissioned senior field officers in the Roman army of late antiquity and medieval times and they also acted importantly as senior weapon training instructors and drill-masters responsible for training on regimental base with several lower subordinate doctores under them.Probably by 4th and certainly by 6th century Campidoctor was 3rd highest rank in structure of infantry regiments.

In older times training was usually something to be done by Tribunes and Centurions but as Roman army changed into permanent institution with its legions,Alae and Cohorts being stationed in permanent camps training officers started to specialize more.

Role of Campidoctor(it was not rank but position which can be held by officers of several ranks but senior centurions seems to be most often) is 1st attested in late 2nd century during reign of Commodus(in 182 AD) only in elite units-Praetorian guard and provincial equites Singulares(which in the same case constitutes rare example of Campidoctor present in cavalry as otherwise it is solely known for infantry only but at their earlier history this could be different),by 2nd half of the 4th century it was already common in all of the Roman army with its importance and prestige continuing to growth since then in following centuries.Campidoctores also traditionally crowned the Emperor as representatives of the army at least since 2nd half of the 5th century to 2nd half of the 6th.

Among sub-ordinate training officers to Campidoctor(who supervised overall situation on the campus/training ground and was issuing by voice(his own or through herald) main commands) were for example:

-Doctores(singular "Doctor"-here word is in the sense of "teacher/expert) : generic term for them in general regardless their specialization.

-Doctor armorum/as Armidoctor first attested since 2nd half of the 1st century(plural Armidoctores) : specialist on training with weapons in general."Optio campi" was probably alternative term for the same function.

-Hastiliarius(specialised on training with spears)

-Campidoctor Sagittariorum(specialized on archery)

-Armatura : a junior instructor of advanced fighting techniques with weaponry in special course of the same name.

All these were regarded Principales as for their status and had a double pay with prospect of promotion on Campidoctor.Campidoctor in turn could hoped to be elevated to Primicerius or Tribun.Cases of former Campidoctores promoted directly to the rank of tribune(in late antiquity commander of a Legion)are known.

-Exercitator : Generic term simply meaning "trainer".This word was not really a title nor firmly given rank and was used to any person of any rank entrusted with conducting training of soldiers(but most we know held the rank of Centurio or Evocatus).Term seems to be favored in elite cavalry units for weapons trainer and riding master.

-Exercitator Equitum : here specifically instructor specialized on training of cavalry and equistrian skills.

Among probable functional equivalents to rank of Campidoctor are these(it is highly likely that in earlier imperial army titles concerning personel entrusted with training were not uniform and terminology differed in various classes of the army)

-Magister campi (literarly "Master of camp"): He assisted to Exercitator Equitum.Post is safely only attested for Cohors Equitata(mixed infantry and cavalry regiment) and probably also for Equites Legionis(perhaps this title is identical in role to other known terms:"Magister Equitum Legionis" and "Magister Cohortis",however this remains uncertain).

-Centurio Supernumerarius : probably a non-commisioned centurion entrusted with training of soldiers

-Praepositus Campi("President of the camp") : Probably the same role as that of Magister Campi and Campidoctor.Title is know only from Alae units and it might be that correct reading was something else for example Praepositus Castorum or Praepositus Campidoctor.

Description
Campidoctores were highly esteemed non-comissioned senior field officers in the Roman army of late antiquity and medieval times and they also acted importantly as senior weapon training instructors and drill-masters responsible for training on regimental base with several lower subordinate doctores under them.Probably by 4th and certainly by 6th century Campidoctor was 3rd highest rank in structure of infantry regiments.

In older times training was usually something to be done by Tribunes and Centurions but as Roman army changed into permanent institution with its legions,Alae and Cohorts being stationed in permanent camps training officers started to specialize more.

Role of Campidoctor(it was not rank but position which can be held by officers of several ranks but senior centurions seems to be most often) is 1st attested in late 2nd century during reign of Commodus(in 182 AD) only in elite units-Praetorian guard and provincial equites Singulares(which in the same case constitutes rare example of Campidoctor present in cavalry as otherwise it is solely known for infantry only but at their earlier history this could be different),by 2nd half of the 4th century it was already common in all of the Roman army with its importance and prestige continuing to growth since then in following centuries.Campidoctores also traditionally crowned the Emperor as representatives of the army at least since 2nd half of the 5th century to 2nd half of the 6th.

Among sub-ordinate training officers to Campidoctor(who supervised overall situation on the campus/training ground and was issuing by voice(his own or through herald) main commands) were for example:

-Doctores(singular "Doctor"-here word is in the sense of "teacher/expert) : generic term for them in general regardless their specialization.

-Doctor armorum/as Armidoctor first attested since 2nd half of the 1st century(plural Armidoctores) : specialist on training with weapons in general."Optio campi" was probably alternative term for the same function.

-Hastiliarius(specialised on training with spears)

-Campidoctor Sagittariorum(specialized on archery)

-Armatura : a junior instructor of advanced fighting techniques with weaponry in special course of the same name.

All these were regarded Principales as for their status and had a double pay with prospect of promotion on Campidoctor.Campidoctor in turn could hoped to be elevated to Primicerius or Tribun.Cases of former Campidoctores promoted directly to the rank of tribune(in late antiquity commander of a Legion)are known.

-Exercitator : Generic term simply meaning "trainer".This word was not really a title nor firmly given rank and was used to any person of any rank entrusted with conducting training of soldiers(but most we know held the rank of Centurio or Evocatus).Term seems to be favored in elite cavalry units for weapons trainer and riding master.

-Exercitator Equitum : here specifically instructor specialized on training of cavalry and equistrian skills.

Among probable functional equivalents to rank of Campidoctor are these(it is highly likely that in earlier imperial army titles concerning personel entrusted with training were not uniform and terminology differed in various classes of the army)

-Magister campi (literarly "Master of camp"): He assisted to Exercitator Equitum.Post is safely only attested for Cohors Equitata(mixed infantry and cavalry regiment) and probably also for Equites Legionis(perhaps this title is identical in role to other known terms:"Magister Equitum Legionis" and "Magister Cohortis",however this remains uncertain).

-Centurio Supernumerarius : probably a non-commisioned centurion entrusted with training of soldiers

-Praepositus Campi("President of the camp") : Probably the same role as that of Magister Campi and Campidoctor.Title is know only from Alae units and it might be that correct reading was something else for example Praepositus Castorum or Praepositus Campidoctor.