Editing Legate (ancient Rome) (section)

===Roman Empire===
From [[Augustus]] onwards, the emperor gave the title of ''legatus legionis'' to senior commanders (former [[military tribune]]s) of a legion, except in [[Egypt]] and [[Mesopotamia]] where the legions were commanded by a ''[[praefectus legionis]]'' of an equestrian rank. The ''legatus legionis'' was under the supreme command of a ''[[legatus Augusti pro praetore]]'' of senatorial rank. If the province was defended by a single legion, the ''legatus Augusti pro praetore'' was also in direct command of the legion. This post was generally appointed by the [[Roman emperor|emperor]]. The person chosen for this rank was a former [[tribune]], and although the emperor [[Augustus]] set a maximum term of command of two years for a ''legatus'', subsequent emperors extended the tenure to three or four years, although the incumbent could serve for a much longer period. In a province with only one legion, the legate served as the provincial governor, while in provinces with multiple legions each legion had a legate and a separate provincial governor who had overall command.

A legate was the principal commander of their assigned [[Roman legion|legion]].<ref>https://oxfordre.com/classics/classics/abstract/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-3631</ref> The ''Legatus legionis'' would delegate operational duties to their command staff of [[Tribunus laticlavius]], [[Praefectus castrorum]], [[Tribunus angusticlavius|Tribunus angusticlavii]] & [[Primus pilus]] who would collectively be responsible for the legion's operational effectiveness.

The legate could be distinguished in the field by his elaborate [[Attic helmet]] and [[Muscle cuirass|Lorica musculata]] or [[Lorica plumata|plumata]], as well as a scarlet ''[[paludamentum]]'' (cloak), ''cincticulus'' (a sash tied around the waist) and a ''[[parazonium]]'' (status sword).<ref>https://camws.org/sites/default/files/meeting2018/abstracts/385.armatribunicium.pdf</ref>

The senatorial ''legatus legionis'' was removed from the Roman army by [[Gallienus]], who preferred to entrust the command of a legionary unit to a [[leadership|leader]] chosen from within the [[equestrian order]] who had a long military career.

The title has other uses from the period of Augustus onwards, following the constitutional resettlement of 27 BC "that senatorial governors in the People's provinces bore the republican title of 'proconsul', while those appointed by the Emperor bore a title which explicitly referred to their dependence on him, namely ''legatus'', or deputy".<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Penella|first1=Robert J.|last2=Augustus|first2=Caesar|last3=Millar|first3=Fergus|last4=Segal|first4=Erich|date=1986|title=Caesar Augustus: Seven Aspects|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/4349888|journal=The Classical World|volume=79|issue=4|page=46|doi=10.2307/4349888|jstor=4349888 |issn=0009-8418|url-access=subscription}}</ref>