▁represented ▁the ▁best ▁soldiers ▁from ▁the ▁leg ions ▁( pr inci p ally ▁from ▁Il ly ria ). ▁They ▁were ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁el ite ▁of ▁soldiers ▁starting ▁from ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century , ▁and ▁not ▁a ▁category ▁of ▁soci ally ▁privile ged ▁soldiers ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁August us ). ▁The ▁It ali ans ▁formed ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁rec ruit ment ▁of ▁the ▁Leg io ▁II ▁Par th ica , ▁a ▁new ▁leg ion ▁created ▁and ▁station ed ▁in ▁Italy . ▁ ▁To ▁be ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁Guard , ▁a ▁man ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁good ▁physical ▁condition , ▁have ▁a ▁good ▁moral ▁character , ▁and ▁come ▁from ▁a ▁respect able ▁family . ▁In ▁addition , ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁make ▁use ▁of ▁all ▁sorts ▁of ▁patron ages ▁available ▁to ▁him ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁obtain ▁letters ▁of ▁recommend ations ▁from ▁important ▁leading ▁figures ▁in ▁society . ▁Once ▁past ▁the ▁rec ruit ment ▁procedure ▁he ▁was ▁designated ▁as ▁Pro b atus , ▁and ▁assigned ▁as ▁a ▁Mil es ▁( s old ier ) ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁centuries ▁of ▁a ▁coh ort . ▁After ▁two ▁years , ▁if ▁he ▁attract ed ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁his ▁super iors ▁by ▁influence ▁or ▁mer it , ▁he ▁could ▁att ain ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁Im mun is ▁( similar ▁to ▁corpor al ), ▁perhaps ▁as ▁a ▁comm is ▁( j un ior ▁chief ) ▁at ▁general ▁headquarters ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁techn ician . ▁This ▁promotion ▁ex empt ed ▁him