Dux (plural:
duces) is
Latin for
leader (from the verb
ducere, 'to lead') and later for
Duke.
During the
Roman Republic,
dux could refer to anyone who commanded troops, including foreign leaders, but was not a formal military rank. In writing his
commentaries on the
Gallic Wars,
Julius Caesar uses the term only for
Celtic generals, with one exception for a Roman commander who held no official rank.
Roman empire
Until the 3rd century AD,
dux was not a formal expression of rank within the Roman military or administrative hierarchy.
In the Roman military, a Dux would be a general in charge of two or more legions. While the title of dux could refer to a
Consul or
Imperator, it usually refers to the
Roman Governor of the
provinces. As the governor, the dux was both the highest civil official as well as the commander-in-chief of the
legions garrisoned within the province.
However, during the time of the
Dominate, the powers as a dux were split from the role of the governor and were given to a new office called "Dux". The dux was still the highest military office within the province and commanded the legions, but the governor had to authorize the use of the dux's powers. But once authorized, the dux could act independently from the governor and handled all military matters. An example would be the
Dux per Gallia Belgica which was the Dux of the province of Gallia Belgica.
Since Diocletian's
Tetrarchy reform, the provinces were organized into
dioceses each administered by a
Vicarius. As with the Governors, the Vicarius was assisted by a Dux. This Dux was superior to all of other Duces within the dioceses and when the Vicarius called the legions of the dioceses into action, all of the legions were at the Dux's command. An example would be the Dux per Gallia which was the Dux of the Dioceses of
Gaul. The office of Dux was, in turn, made subject to the
Magister Militum of his respective
Praetorian prefecture, and above him to the
Emperor.
In the
Byzantine Empire, the position of "dux" survived (
Byzantine Greek: "δούξ"
douks) as rank equivalent to a provincial general (
strategos). The office of
megas doux ("Grand Duke"), created in the 1090s, was the commander-in-chief of the
Byzantine navy and survived until the final
Fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Post-Roman uses
King Arthur, in one of his earliest literary appearances, is described as
dux bellorum ("
dux of battles") among the kings of the
Romano-Britons in their wars against the
Anglo-Saxons.
Dux is also the root of various high feudal noble titles of peerage rank, such as (via the French
duc) the English
duke, the Spanish and Portuguese
duque, the
Venetian doge and Italian
duca and
duce and the modern Greek
ducas (δούκας).
Italian Fascist dictator
Benito Mussolini used the title of
Dux (and
Duce in Italian) to represent his leadership.
Education
- In schools in Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Iceland, Dux is a modern title given to the top student in academic and sporting achievement (Dux Litterarum and Dux Ludorum respectively) in each graduating year. In this usage, Dux is similar to the American concept of a valedictorian. The runner up may be given the title Proxime Accessit (meaning "he came next") or Semidux.
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