The ''speculatores'' also known as the ''speculatores augusti'' or the ''exploratores'' were an ancient Roman
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops ( skirmishe ...
agency. They were part of the ''
consularis ''Consularis'' is a Latin adjective indicating something pertaining to the position or rank of consul. In Ancient Rome it was also used as a noun (plural ''consulares'') to designate those senators who had held the office of consul or attained co ...
'' and were used by the
Roman military. The ''speculatores'' were headquartered in the
Castra Peregrina.
This organization probably originated from previous Greek military
spies and scouts. There are references to a Roman scouting agency operating during the
Samnite Wars
The First, Second, and Third Samnite Wars (343–341 BC, 326–304 BC, and 298–290 BC) were fought between the Roman Republic and the Samnites, who lived on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains south of Rome and north of the Lucanian tribe ...
and the ''speculatores'' being employed during the
Roman war with the
Aequi
300px, Location of the Aequi (Equi) in central Italy, 5th century BC.
The Aequi ( grc, Αἴκουοι and Αἴκοι) were an Italic tribe on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains to the east of Latium in central Italy who appear in the early hist ...
. Emperor
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
reformed the Roman communications system. Among other reforms, he also added 10 ''speculatores ''to each
legion. With one speculator per
cohort
Cohort or cohortes may refer to:
* Cohort (educational group), a group of students working together through the same academic curriculum
* Cohort (floating point), a set of different encodings of the same numerical value
* Cohort (military unit) ...
. They also served in the
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard (Latin: ''cohortēs praetōriae'') was a unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort fo ...
. They also served as
political police. Although they were replaced by the ''
frumentarii'' as police in the third century. As bodyguards, they were tasked with clearing the emperor's pathway of crowds. To do this, they used a type of non-lethal spear known as a ''
lancea''. They also served as scouts, executioners, torturers, and
assassins
An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder.
Assassin may also refer to:
Origin of term
* Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins
Animals and insects
* Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviid ...
. During their operations, they worked in small numbers. Usually in pairs or as individuals. The ''speculatores'' were trained by an official known as a ''
centurio exercitator'' to become skilled in
fighting,
horseriding,
parading, and escorting. Three other officials had important roles in the ''speculatores''. These were the ''centurio'' and the ''centurio speculatorum'', ''centurio trecenarius,'' and the ''centurio speculatorum equitarum''. There were around 300 members of the ''speculatores''. They were chosen based on their discretion and loyalty. Many ''speculatores'' would go on to become couriers. Their duties lead to them becoming feared and despised by the populace.
References
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{{Refend
Infantry units and formations of ancient Rome
Army reconnaissance units and formations