Gorean Book Quote Requests

There are no short simple answers to your questions. So many cities and so many variations of how they are ruled.

To answer your first question one would have to take into consideration the relationship between the Ubar or Administrator and the High Council. Are they working together for the good of the city or is the High Council merely a figurehead?

To read more about the duties and authorities of these folks you can look in the main menu for links to those pages of research.

I cannot find a listing of Gorean army ranks, for instance, similar to the U.S. Army ranks of private to general. So the next best thing are the quotes below using your search words.

I wish you well,
Fogaban



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Relieved

The name of Cernus, as patron and benefactor, was now what appeared on the placards and the boards of announcements. Then, interestingly, minor omens, recorded by the High Initiate, and others, began to turn against the Hinrabian dynasty. Two members of the High Council, who had spoken out against the influence of Merchants in the politics of Ar, presumably a veiled reference to Cernus, were found slain, one cut down by killing knife and another throttled and found dangling from a bridge near his home. The first sword of the military forces of Ar, Maximus Hegesius Quintilius, second in authority only to Minus Tentius Hinrabius himself, was relieved of his post. He had shortly before expressed reservation concerning the investiture of Cernus in the Caste of Warriors. He was replaced by a member of the Taurentians, Seremides of Tyros, nominated by Saphronicus of Tyros, Captain of the Taurentians. Shortly thereafter Maximus Hegesius Quintilius was found dead, poisoned by the bite of a girl in his Pleasure Gardens, who, before she could be brought before the Scribes of the Law, was strangled by enraged Taurentians, to whom she had been turned over; it was well known that the Taurentians had greatly revered Maximus Hegesius Quintilius, and that they had felt his loss perhaps as deeply as the common Warriors of Ar. I had known Maximus Hegesius Quintilius only briefly several years ago, when he had been a captain, in 10,110 from the Founding of Ar, in the time of Pa-Kur and his horde.
Assassin of Gor     Book 5     Pages 233 - 234


I did not see Tarna in the battle. I did see her men, but they fought under Ibn Saran. I gathered she had been relieved of her command.
Tribesmen of Gor     Book 10     Page 309


"You were relieved of your command," I told her. "You were no longer of use. Even those men who once served you fight now, decimated, for their lives."
Tribesmen of Gor     Book 10     Page 329

"What do you know of Callisthenes?" I asked Callimachus. "He is a captain, a guardsman of Port Cos," said Callimachus. "He is skilled with the sword. He is shrewd, I regard him as a good officer."

"It was he, was it not," I asked, "who acceded to your command in Port Cos, following your being relieved of your duties?"

"It was," smiled Callimachus, "but I assure you I shall not hold that against him, nor will it interfere with my capacity to work closely with him."

"If he chooses to work with you," I said.

"Of course," shrugged Callimachus.

"Do you think he will remember you?" I asked.

"I would think so," said Callimachus, ruefully.

"It was evidence brought against Callisthenes in Port Cos five years ago by Callimachus," said Tasdron, "which cost him an early promotion, a matter of minor peculation."

"Such things are not unknown," said Callimachus, "but I chose not to accept them in my command."

"I understand," I said. I had a respect for caste honor. Honor was honor, in small things as well as great. Indeed, how can one practice honor in great things, if not in small things?

"And later," said Tasdron, "it was the testimonies of Callisthenes which resulted in Callimachus' loss of command."

"He did his duty, as I had done mine, earlier," said Callimachus. "I cannot, as a soldier, hold that against him. My only regret is that I had not resigned my command. In that way I might have precluded the disgrace of the hearing, the admonishment of my fellow officers, the embarrassment of being publicly relieved of my duties."
Rogue of Gor     Book 15     Page 231


"We used to drink together," said Callimachus to Tasdron. "It was largely on the recommendation of Callimachus, after he was relieved from his command," said Callisthenes, "that I was promoted to the captaincy."
Rogue of Gor     Book 15     Page 256


"While you are assigned as my guard," I said, "you will obey me. I shall decide if, or when, you are relieved of your duties, or even if you are to be discharged entirely from the service of Corcyrus."
Kajira of Gor     Book 19     Page 122


"One last thing I would speak," said Tajima "though I would not speak it."
"Speak it," I said.
"You have been relieved of your command, Tarl Cabot, tarnsman," he said.
Rebels of Gor     Book 33     Page 112

It is interesting, I thought, the relationships between politics and reality, between words and deeds, between laws and enforcements, between formalities and facts. Lord Temmu had relieved me of my command, as he thought, but the cavalry, as I understood it, had remained mine, and now with no change in things, Lord Temmu had supposedly returned my command. But the reality was that the cavalry had repudiated in fact, if not in name, its allegiance to Lord Temmu, following his betrayal of me into the power of Lord Yamada. The cavalry was now, in fact, if not in name, an independent unit. I was not now to be commanded as a subordinate but courted as an ally.
Rebels of Gor     Book 33     Page 428


"You will surrender the tarn cavalry to the house of Temmu," said Lord Temmu. "You will relocate it to the grounds of the holding. Its former officers are to be relieved of their appointments. we will designate a new chain of command, one unequivocally loyal to our house."
Rebels of Gor     Book 33     Page 616



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Invested

Then, beginning with the lowest tier, each member of the Council spoke in succession, giving his name and pronouncing that he, too, accepted the word of the blond swordsman. When they had finished, my father invested me with the arms which had lain before the throne. About my shoulder he slung the steel sword, fastened on my left arm the round shield, placed in my right hand the spear, and slowly lowered the helmet on my head.
Tarnsman of Gor     Book 1     Page 63


Further, because of his services to the state, including the sponsorship of games and races, Cernus was, upon the petition of Saphronicus, Captain of the Taurentians, invested in the scarlet of the Warrior, thus honoring him with High Caste. He did not, of course, give up the House of Cernus nor any other of his widely ranging interests in Ar and beyond it. I do not suppose the Hinrabian Administrator much cared to approve this raising of caste in the case of Cernus, but he lacked the courage to go against the wishes of the Taurentians, and of the city generally. The High Council, with scarcely a murmur, agreed to the investiture.
Assassin of Gor     Book 5     Page 210



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General

I read the message. "Greetings to Tarl Cabot, I await you at the world's end. Zarendargar. War General of the People."

"It is Half-Ear," said Samos, "high Kur, war general of the Kurii."
Beasts of Gor     Book 12     Page 24

"Miles, Ambassador of Argentum, Miles, General of Argentum!" announced the herald.

The men behind Miles put down the boxes they had brought. Doubtless new riches would soon grace the steps of the dais.

"The throne of Corcyrus," said Ligurious, "greets the ambassador from Argentum, Miles, general of Argentum."

"On behalf of Claudius, Ubar of Argentum," said Miles, "I accept the greetings of Corcyrus."
Kajira of Gor     Book 19     Page 88


"Open in the name of Saphronicus, General of Ar!" I heard. "Open in the name of alliance!"
Players of Gor     Book 20     Page 372


I was curious as to what goods General Yamada was willing to accept, and why, in exchange, apparently, for supplies, presumably in limited quantities.
Rebels of Gor     Book 33     Page 54



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Commander

At the gate the officer was still berating the blond-haired fellow. He had blue eyes, as I had known he would, for I had recognized him from above.

"You will suffer for this!" the commander of the guard was crying. "You dull fool!"
Nomads of Gor     Book 4     Page 244


He was flanked by officers of the Tuchuks, commanders of Thousands, mounted as he was and armed.
Nomads of Gor     Book 4     Page 247

I was astonished when, at the gate to the palace of Phanius Turmus, the four Tuchuk guards smote their lances three times on their leather shields. The lance strikes the shield once for the commander of a Ten; twice for the commander of a Hundred; three times for the commander of a Thousand. "Pass, Commanders," said the chief of the four guards, and they stepped aside.

Naturally I inquired of Harold, shortly after entering, the meaning of the guards' salutation. I had expected to be challenged and then perhaps, if all went well, wrangled inside on some stratagem dreamed up by Harold on the spur of the moment.

"It means," remarked Harold, looking about the courtyard, "that you have the rank of a Commander of a Thousand."
Nomads of Gor     Book 4     Page 250

"You do not, of course, have a Thousand to command," pointed out Harold.

"Nonetheless," I said, "there is considerable power in the rank itself."

"That is true," he said.

Indeed it was true, for the next level beneath a Ubar among the Wagon Peoples is that of the Commander of a Thousand.
Nomads of Gor     Book 4     Page 251


"To the Vosk League!" said Aemilianus, commander of the naval forces of Ar's Station.
Guardsman of Gor     Book 16     Page 235


"In virtue of the power vested in me as a commander in the Sleen Soldiers, and in accordance with the wishes of my father, Mahpiyasapa, civil chieftain of the Isbu Kaiila," said Hci, "I pronounce you both free."
Blood Brothers of Gor     Book 18     Page 451


I had realized for years, of course, that Dietrich of Tarnburg was a capable mercenary, and one of Gor's finest commanders.
Mercenaries of Gor     Book 21     Page 142

"Among the crowds there," I said, suddenly, pointing, "there are soldiers with purple cloaks and helmets." I had not seen such things in years, since the time of the usurper, Cernus, in Ar, dethroned long ago in the restoration of Marlenus, Ubar of Ubars.

"Those are Taurentians, members of the elite palace guard," said a man.

"The Taurentians were disbanded in 10,119," I said.

"They have been restored to favor," said a man.

"Had you not heard?" asked another.

"No," I said. The sight of Taurentians made me uneasy. Such men, with their internal esprit de corps, their identification with their own units, their allegiance to their personal commanders, their status, privileges and skills, their proximity to the delicate fulcrums of power, hold in their hands the power to enthrone and dethrone ubars.

"It was done only this year," said a man.

"They are fine soldiers," said another.

"I know," I said. I had met them in combat, as long ago as the sands of the Stadium of Blades. There is a common myth, given their post in the city, that Taurentians are spoiled, and soft. This myth is false. They are elite troops, highly trained and devoted to their commanders. One does not gain admittance to their coveted ranks in virtue of mediocre skills or poor condition.
Mercenaries of Gor     Book 21     Pages 245 - 246


I had then been kept in Ar for weeks, a guest in the Central Cylinder, waiting, and waiting. Then at last I had been given a sealed letter for the commander at Ar's Station, whose name was Aemilianus.
Renegades of Gor     Book 23     Page 35

I would have thought Aemilianus, commander of the citadel, would have come to the wall, but I did not see the helmet with the crest of sleen hair.
Renegades of Gor     Book 23     Page 278


It was important to me to coordinate the withdrawal of both wings, to keep balance in the positions, to prevent flanking movements. Too, I thought I might buy some time for them by seeming to offer the Cosians an enviable prize, the capture of the wall commander.
Renegades of Gor     Book 23     Page 296

"Hail Commander!" then cried the fellows there, spying Aemilianus.

"Why do they call you 'Captain'," asked Aemilianus.

"He commanded on the wall!" cried a man. I remember him from the wall. He had been there.

"It was you who held the wall so long?" asked Aemilianus.

"I and a couple of hundred of your stout fellows, like these," I said, indicating the elated young men at my side.

"There are Cosians on the interior walls, overlooking the landing," said a man.

I looked up. I saw them. Some had their helmets off, cooling their heads in the breeze, more to be felt at that height.

"They can fire into the crowd," said a man.

"But they have not done so," said another.

"They are waiting for the camp commander," said another. "I will not go to Cos, naked in a cage," said Aemilianus to one of his men, one of the two who had stayed with him. "At the end, then, you know what to do."

"As you will, Commander," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
Renegades of Gor     Book 23     Pages 308 - 309

"It is speculated that you are a mercenary," he said. "Cos has use of such. I come on behalf of Aristimines, Commander of Cos in the north. He is pleased with your work, though it has been to his own cost. I have here a purse of gold. Contract your sword to Cos and it is yours." He dropped the leather purse, drawn shut with strings, to the boards of the walk. He then stepped back. "See?" he said.
Renegades of Gor     Book 23     Page 336


Perhaps he could treat with Myron, Polemarkos of Temos, commander of the main forces of Cos on the continent, if it were not too late, for a safe withdrawal from Torcadino.
Vagabonds of Gor     Book 24     Page 68


"I am Plenius, subaltern to Labienus, commander of the vanguard," said Plenius.
"I am Claudius, spearman of the 11lth," said the fellow who had been first,
Vagabonds of Gor     Book 24     Page 367


It is my speculation, however, that Labienus, commander of the vanguard, made his report.
Vagabonds of Gor     Book 24     Page 495


"Who was commander of the vanguard?" I asked.
"Labienus," said he, "of this city."
"And his first subaltern?" I asked.
"I do not know," he said. "I was not of the vanguard."
"Who commanded the 17th?" I asked.
"I do not remember," he said.
Vinicius?" I said.
"Yes," he said. "Vinicius."
"And the 11th?"
"I do not know," he said.
"Toron, of Venna," I said.
"Yes," he said. "Toron, of Venna."
"In which command were you?"
"In the 14th," he said.
"Who commanded the 14th?"
"Honorius."
"And his first subaltern?"
"Falvius."
"His second?"
"Camillus."
Magicians of Gor     Book 25     Page 249

One she took to be the camp marshal passed her. He carried a list. She had seen him approaching, moving along the lines, stopping to confer with officers and drovers. It is the function of the camp marshal to choose sites, lay out the camps, and, when ready to move, to order the components in the march, arranging wagons, cavalry, stock, guards, scouts, and such. His arrangements, of course, may be overruled, or revised, by the camp commander, the highest officer with the march.
Prize of Gor     Book 27     Page 350



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Army