Vigiles

Vigilesor more properly theVigiles Urbani( "watchmen of theCity") orCohortes Vigilum( "cohortsof the watchmen ") were thefirefightersandpoliceofancient Rome.

History

Thetriumviri nocturni(meaningthree men of the night) were the first men, being privately ownedslaves,organized into a group that combatted the common problems of fire andconflagrationsin Rome. Another organization dedicated to fighting fires in ancient Rome was a band of slaves led by theaedile Marcus Egnatius Rufus.^[1]^[2]The privately operated system became ineffective, so in the interest of keeping himself and Rome safe,Augustusinstituted a new public firefighting force called thevigiles.Augustus modelled the new firefighters after the fire brigade ofAlexandria, Egypt.Thevigileswere also known by their nicknameSpartolior "little bucket fellows", given to them because of the buckets they carried water in, which were made of rope sealed withpitch.

In AD 6,^[3]^[4]Augustus levied a 4%taxon the sale ofslavesand used the proceeds to set up the new force. The first units ofvigileswere under the command of theaedilesand thevicomagistri.There were only 6,000vigilesand they were all slaves.^[5]In 22 AD they were commanded by thepraefectus vigilum,who was ofequestrianrank, andsubpraefectusand were divided into sevencohortscommanded by atribune.Usually tribunes would begin their career by commanding a unit of the Vigiles.^[6]Each cohort was divided into sevencenturies,each of 70–80 men commanded by acenturion.Each cohort patrolled two of the city's fourteen administrativeregiones.Thevigileswere made up offreedmenby this time.^[7]The cohorts were doubled in size in AD 205.

Thevigilesalso acted as a night watch, keeping an eye out for burglars andhunting down runaway slaves,and were on occasion used to maintain order in the streets. Their most famous prefect,Naevius Sutorius Macro,succeededLucius Aelius Sejanusas Prefect of thePraetorian Guardafter his men had been used by the EmperorTiberiusto retake control of the city from Sejanus's soldiers.

Vigileswere stationed at the harbour cities ofOstiaandPortus.Avexillatio(detachment) of four centuries was detached from Rome for four months at a time, with two centuries being stationed at each city.

During theGreat Fire of Rome,the vigiles took to looting the city rather than enforcing law and fighting the fires.^[8]

Thevigilesappear to have lost their status as an independent unit and come under the authority of thePraetorian prefectssometime in the early 3rd century.^{[citation needed]}

Organization

In the beginning, the corps had difficulty recruiting men. In an effort to entice men to enlist theLex Viselliawas passed in 24 AD, granting fullcitizenshipand a bonus cashstipendtoVigilesafter six years of service. By the 2nd century, citizens were also allowed to enlist.

TheVigileswere accommodated in barracks and patrolled the streets, especially at night, on the lookout for any unsupervised fires. Every householder was obliged to keep equipment for fighting fires, and the men themselves were equipped with pumps, buckets, hooks (for pulling down burning material), picks,mattocksand axes. They also usedballistaefor knocking down burning houses and creatingfirebreaks.They even had their own medical support (medici), with four doctors attached to each cohort, and their own chaplains (victimarii). Asiphonariusoperated a pump and anaquariussupervised the supply of water. The ordinary firefighters were calledmilites(soldiers).

The Vigiles were organized into sevencohortseach 1,000 men strong. The cohorts contained sevencenturies.The centuries were commanded bycenturions,and the cohort was commanded by atribune.The commander of the Vigiles was thePraefectus Vigilum.^[7]^[9]^[10]The centurions of theVigileswould often go on to become centurions in the Urban Cohorts, followed by becoming a centurion in the Praetorian Guard. They would then transfer to the Legions, where they could reach the rank ofPrimus Pilus.^[7]The prefect was also known as thePrefectof the Watch. The prefect was anequesappointed by the emperor to command the seven cohorts. It was not a particularly sought after office until the 3rd century. Prominentjuristswith a legal background began serving as Prefect to fulfil themagisterialcapacity of the office. As a judge, the Prefect made rulings in his court for the common thieves caught during the night. Eventually, the Prefect was givenjurisdictionover daytimepetty crimesas well. According to Justinian, in the event of more serious crimes the decision was made by thepraefectus urbi,"if the offender is a person of such thuggish and infamous character... the case is sent on to the prefect of the city". Often timesPraefectus Vigilumwould go on to beprefects of the Praetorian Guard.^[11]

Beyond the office of the prefect, the Vigiles were ordered by rank similar to the military. While some terms of service could extend beyond twenty years, most commissioned ranks were much shorter. Since theVigilesnever achieved the prestige of the Praetorian Guard or theUrban Cohorts,serving in the corps was usually only a means of achieving more honourable and lucrative posts.

One knownpraefectus,Placidianuswas put in charge of an expeditionary force sent to Gaul byClaudius II(Gothicus) on his accession in 269 AD to secure the lower Rhone valley against the so-calledGallic Empire.This is the only known instance of the holder of this office being given a substantive command outside Rome. Whether or not his force includedvigilesfrom the city is uncertain.

Whether or not thePraefectus Vigilumhad his headquarters in any of thestationesidentified above or whether he had an entirely separatepraefecturais not known. If he is associated with one of the barracks it is likely to have been that of I Cohort in theVia Lata.

Duties

Fighting fires

Every cohort was equipped with standard firefighting equipment. Thesiphoorfire enginewas pulled by horses and consisted of a large double action pump that was partially submerged in a reservoir of water. The Vigiles designated asaquariineeded to have an accurate knowledge of where water was located, and they also formedbucket brigadesto bring water to the fire. Attempts were made to smother the fire by covering it with patchwork quilts (centones) soaked with water. There is even evidence thatchemicalfirefighting methods were used by throwing avinegarbased substance calledacetuminto fires. In many cases the best way to prevent the spread of flames was to tear down the burning building with hooks and levers. For fires in multiple story buildings, cushions and mattresses were spread out on the ground for people to jump onto from the upper levels.

A major duty of the Vigiles was to enforce preventative measures against conflagrations. Adequate fire fighting equipment was required in every home. TheDigest of Justiniandecrees that Vigiles are "ordered to remind every one to have a supply of water ready in his upper room". While the Vigiles only had advising authority, their recommendations were often followed to avoid repercussions for negligence. Corporal punishment was the most common punishment for negligence according to the Digest of Justinian, "where persons have paid insufficient attention to their fire, the prefect... orders them to be beaten".

During theGreat Fire of Romein AD 64 over one third of Rome was destroyed by flames. The young EmperorNerohelped to direct the Vigiles in fighting the flames. It was rumoured that the Vigiles intentionally allowed the city to burn under orders from Nero, who later built his palace on land that was cleared by the fire. Regardless, Nero enacted fire code laws following the Great Fire to avoid further conflagrations. These laws called for more public access to water and prohibited buildings from sharing a common wall.

Police force

Starting about 27 BC, Augustus added a police function to the Vigiles to counterbalance the urban mobs that had run rampant during the latter days of the Republic.^[12]

In addition to extinguishing fires, the Vigiles were thenightwatchof Rome.^[6]^[13]Their duties included apprehending thieves and robbers^[14]and capturing runaway slaves.^[15]^[16]^[17]The task of guarding thebathswas added as a duty of the Vigiles during the reign ofAlexander Severuswhen the baths remained open during the night. They dealt primarily withpetty crimesand looked for disturbances of the peace while they patrolled the streets.Sedition,riots and violent crimes were handled by theCohortes urbanaeand (to a lesser extent) thePraetorian Guard,though Vigiles could provide a supporting role in these situations. TheVigileswere not considered apara-militaryunit.

Quarters

The first Vigilessequesteredprivate homes and buildings to use as theircommand posts.It was not until the mid-2nd century that official stations were built explicitly for the Vigiles' use. By the early 3rd century sub-stations (excubitoria), which held forty to fifty men, were constructed to accommodate the expanding city and the surrounding suburbs.

The locations of four of the seven cohortstationesor barracks have been fairly definitively identified:

I Cohort: On the east side of theVia Lataopposite theSaepta;
III Cohort: On Viminal;
IV Cohort: NearBaths of Caracalla;
V Cohort: On Caelian Hill near present site ofS. Maria in Domnica.

The VII Cohort was probably housed in astatioprovisionally identified near the Aemilian Bridge.^{[clarification needed]}

As mentioned elsewhere detachments of watchmen were stationed atOstia^[6]andPortusand there were sub-stations throughout the city. What arrangements were made for policing the outer suburbs of the city is not known. (Certainly after the governmental reforms ofDiocletianthe jurisdiction of thePraefectus Urbiextended as far as the east coast and for 100 miles (160 km) in every direction. This might suggest that his subordinate, thePraefectusVigilum,had a commensurate responsibility.)

In popular culture

The Vigiles often play a prominent role in theMarcus Didius Falconovels ofLindsey Davis,providing assistance in Falco's investigations. In particular, Falco's old army friend Lucius Petronius Longus is a 'Watch Captain' inRegioXIII.

InDeath in VesunnabyHarry Turtledove,the vigiles of Vesunna,Roman Gaul(now modernPérigueux,France) are tasked to hunt down two murderersfrom the future,whose victim was a prominent citizen in the city whom they murdered with apistol.Despite initial bafflement, the head of the vigiles is able to solve the case with help from his Greek doctor friend and arrest the murderers despite their previously unknown weapon.

References

^"Vigiles".World History Encyclopedia.Retrieved2021-01-20.
^Spirkina, O.O."Key Points Of The History Of Firefighting (From the Early Times Till The Middle Ages)"(PDF):188.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
^Walsh, Joseph J. (2019-10-01).The Great Fire of Rome: Life and Death in the Ancient City.JHU Press. p. 33.ISBN 978-1-4214-3371-4.
^Peresun’ko, T. I.; Spirkina, O. O."History of Firefighting: Key Points"(PDF):361.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
^Nippel, Wilfried (1995-09-21).Public Order in Ancient Rome.Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-0-521-38749-1.
^^a ^b ^cHarvey, Brian K. (2015-06-03).Roman Lives, Corrected Edition.Hackett Publishing.ISBN 978-1-58510-975-3.
^^a ^b ^cSouthern, Pat (2006).The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History.ABC-CLIO.ISBN 978-1-85109-730-2.
^Erdkamp, Paul (2013-09-05).The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Rome.Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-0-521-89629-0.
^Sheldon, Rose Mary (2018-10-27).Kill Caesar!: Assassination in the Early Roman Empire.Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN 978-1-5381-1489-6.
^Fuhrmann, Christopher J.; Fuhrmann, Christopher (2012-01-12).Policing the Roman Empire: Soldiers, Administration, and Public Order.Oxford University Press, USA.ISBN 978-0-19-973784-0.
^Rabb, Theodore K.; Rotberg, Robert I. (2014-07-14).Industrialization and Urbanization: Studies in Interdisciplinary History.Princeton University Press.ISBN 978-1-4008-5655-8.
^"History of Law Enforcement - Police History".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-09-19.Retrieved2015-10-11.
^Robinson, O. F. (2003-08-27).Ancient Rome: City Planning and Administration.Routledge.ISBN 978-1-134-84493-7.
^Davis, Lindsey (2011-01-18).Falco: The Official Companion.Random House.ISBN 978-1-4464-5523-4.
^Windle, Sir Bertram Coghill Alan (1887).A Collection of Archaeological Pamphlets on Roman Remains Formed by Sir B.C.A. Windle and Relating Principally to Great Britain.
^"Republican principles of policing",Public Order in Ancient Rome,Cambridge University Press, pp. 4–46, 1995-09-21,doi:10.1017/cbo9780511620324.003,ISBN 978-0-521-38749-1,retrieved2020-11-14
^Conser, James A.; Paynich, Rebecca; Gingerich, Terry; Gingerich, Terry E. (2011).Law Enforcement in the United States.Jones & Bartlett Publishers.ISBN 978-0-7637-9938-0.

Primary sources

Tacitus, Publius Cornelius. The Annals. In: The Complete Works of Tacitus. (1942) Translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb.
Justinian I. (529) The Digest of Justinian. Book I, XV. Translated by Monro, Charles Henry. (1904) Cambridge University Press. pp. 50–51.

Secondary sources

Bunson, Matthew. (1994) Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. Facts on File Inc., New York, NY
Cambridge Ancient History. (1996) 2nd Ed, Vol. X: The Augustan Empire, 43B.C.-A.D.69 Ed. Bowman, Alan K.; Champlin, Edward;Lintott, Andrew.Cambridge University Press, New York.
Canter, H.V. (1932)
H. V. Canter,"Conflagrations in Ancient Rome",Classical Journal,27 (1932), pp. 270–288
Daugherty, Gregory N."The Cohortes Vigilum and the Great Fire of 64 AD",Classical Journal,Vol. 87 (1992), pp. 229–240.
Reynolds, P.K. Baillie(1996).The Vigiles of Imperial Rome.Chicago, Illinois: Ares.ISBN 0-89005-552-1.Originally published in 1926 by Oxford University Press, London.

[1] "Vigiles".World History Encyclopedia.Retrieved2021-01-20.

[2] Spirkina, O.O."Key Points Of The History Of Firefighting (From the Early Times Till The Middle Ages)"(PDF):188.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)

[3] Walsh, Joseph J. (2019-10-01).The Great Fire of Rome: Life and Death in the Ancient City.JHU Press. p. 33.ISBN 978-1-4214-3371-4.

[4] Peresun’ko, T. I.; Spirkina, O. O."History of Firefighting: Key Points"(PDF):361.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)

[5] Nippel, Wilfried (1995-09-21).Public Order in Ancient Rome.Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-0-521-38749-1.

[:0-6] Harvey, Brian K. (2015-06-03).Roman Lives, Corrected Edition.Hackett Publishing.ISBN 978-1-58510-975-3.

[:1-7] Southern, Pat (2006).The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History.ABC-CLIO.ISBN 978-1-85109-730-2.

[8] Erdkamp, Paul (2013-09-05).The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Rome.Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-0-521-89629-0.

[9] Sheldon, Rose Mary (2018-10-27).Kill Caesar!: Assassination in the Early Roman Empire.Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN 978-1-5381-1489-6.

[10] Fuhrmann, Christopher J.; Fuhrmann, Christopher (2012-01-12).Policing the Roman Empire: Soldiers, Administration, and Public Order.Oxford University Press, USA.ISBN 978-0-19-973784-0.

[11] Rabb, Theodore K.; Rotberg, Robert I. (2014-07-14).Industrialization and Urbanization: Studies in Interdisciplinary History.Princeton University Press.ISBN 978-1-4008-5655-8.

[12] "History of Law Enforcement - Police History".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-09-19.Retrieved2015-10-11.

[13] Robinson, O. F. (2003-08-27).Ancient Rome: City Planning and Administration.Routledge.ISBN 978-1-134-84493-7.

[14] Davis, Lindsey (2011-01-18).Falco: The Official Companion.Random House.ISBN 978-1-4464-5523-4.

[15] Windle, Sir Bertram Coghill Alan (1887).A Collection of Archaeological Pamphlets on Roman Remains Formed by Sir B.C.A. Windle and Relating Principally to Great Britain.

[16] "Republican principles of policing",Public Order in Ancient Rome,Cambridge University Press, pp. 4–46, 1995-09-21,doi:10.1017/cbo9780511620324.003,ISBN 978-0-521-38749-1,retrieved2020-11-14

[17] Conser, James A.; Paynich, Rebecca; Gingerich, Terry; Gingerich, Terry E. (2011).Law Enforcement in the United States.Jones & Bartlett Publishers.ISBN 978-0-7637-9938-0.

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