Eos CVIII 2021 ISSN 0012-7825 DOI: 10.34616/e.2021.91.114 MILITARY TRIBUNATE IN THE CAREERS OF ROMAN SENATORS OF THE SEVERAN PERIOD. PART 3: HIGHER MILITARY COMMAND (LEGATUS LEGIONIS, PRAEPOSITUS, DUX) by DANUTA OKOŃ ABSTRACT: During the 42 years of the rule of the Severan dynasty (193–235), several thou- sand people with the title of military tribune probably served in the army of the Roman Empire. Some of them then entered the Roman Senate, starting a public career (which was often a long-term career) and forming the core of the State government. The aim of this paper is to answer the follow- ing questions: how many military tribunes took up higher military functions in their careers: legatus legionis, praepositus, dux; what were the rules for assuming these functions and the competences required to perform them; whether any of the senators who held the military tribunate in the Severan period can be defned as vir militaris and whether the Roman army was commanded by dilettantes. I. PRELIMINARY REMARKS This paper is the third in a series of publications devoted to the military trib- unes of the Severan period. In the previous papers (also published in “Eos”) 1 , I discussed the following fndings: – The following terms were generally used to describe the ofce of the military tribune in epigraphic and literary material: tribunus militum, tribunus legio- nis, tribunus laticlavius. – The title of tribunus angusticlavius is not found in the epigraphic material, but only in literary sources. – The decision to appoint tribunes was formally made by the emperor, follow- ing the recommendations of people from his entourage and staf from the provinces (governors). – The average term of ofce of a military tribune was two years. – Approximately 588 tribuni laticlavii (from the senatorial order) and fve times as many angusticlavii (from the equestrian order) served in the legions in the Severan period; service in one legion was the standard, but 13 of them served in two legions. 1 Okoń 2019 and 2020.