The ''immunes'' were

Ancient Roman In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–50 ...

soldiers who possessed specialized skills. They were exempt from the more tedious and dangerous tasks other soldiers were required to do, such as ditch digging and rampart patrol.

Becoming an immune

Prior to becoming an ''immune'', men were required to serve as ''miles gregarius'' (also known as ''munifex''), a non-specialist regular soldier. These men were the soldiers that made up the bulk of the legions, liable to perform guard duties, labour work and other less than desired duties. '' Milites'' would usually have to serve for several years before becoming eligible for training to become ''immunes''. ''Immune'' status within the army was achieved either through selection or through promotion. If not possessing the specialist skills that could see a soldier chosen to become an ''immune'', the legionary who wished to become one would have to undergo a period of specialist training, during which time they would be known as '' discens''. The ''discens'' received the same basic pay and board as the non-specialists until he qualified for ''immune'' status.

Typical duties

Engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...

s, artillerymen,

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wr ...

s, drill and weapons instructors,

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear rec ...

carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters t ...

hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

s and medical staff were among the multiple specialized jobs ''immunes'' provided for the

Roman army The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval contin ...

. ''Immunes'' also received better pay than the regular troops.

Citations

External links

*{{usurped,
https://web.archive.org/web/20180603205504/http://history-world.org/roman_army.htm
}

* ttp://www.roman-britain.co.uk/glossary/ http://www.roman-britain.co.uk/glossary/ Military units and formations of ancient Rome