vigiles (paramilitary fire and police units)

E228781

The vigiles were a Roman paramilitary corps responsible for firefighting, night watch, and basic policing duties in the city of Rome.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
vigiles (paramilitary fire and police units) canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Roman paramilitary corps
firefighting organization
law enforcement agency
alsoKnownAs cohortes vigilum
vigiles urbani
cohortSize approximately 1000 men
commandedBy praefectus vigilum
country Roman Antiquity
surface form: Ancient Rome
createdBy Augustus
surface form: emperor Augustus
distinctFrom Praetorian Guard
urban cohorts
dutyTime primarily at night
equipment axes
blankets and mats for smothering fires
buckets
hooks
pumps
formationYear 6 CE
functionComparedTo later city police forces
later municipal fire brigades
hadRankStructure yes
historicalPeriod early Roman Empire
introducedAfter reign of Augustus began
jurisdiction city of Rome and its immediate surroundings
languageOfName Latin
legalStatus paramilitary corps
meaningOfName watchmen
numberOfCohorts 7
operatedIn Rome
surface form: city of Rome
organizedInto centuries
cohorts
partOf Roman imperial administrative system
predecessor private slave fire brigades
primaryRole basic policing
firefighting
night watch
recruitedFrom freedmen
responsibleFor arresting petty criminals
enforcing certain urban regulations
extinguishing fires
guarding public buildings at night
maintaining public order at night
patrolling streets at night
preventing fires
stationedIn barracks (stationes) across Rome
subordinateTo praefectus vigilum
totalStrength approximately 7000 men
underAuthorityOf emperor of Rome

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Roman army hasComponent vigiles (paramilitary fire and police units)