What unit from the Roman Army consisting of centuries enjoyed more prestige than the Roman navy?
Roman navy The Roman navy (Latin: "Classis" , lit. "fleet") comprised the naval forces of the Ancient Roman state. The navy was instrumental in the Roman conquest of the Mediterranean basin, but it never enjoyed the prestige of the Roman legions. Throughout their history, the Romans remained a primarily land-based people and relied partially on their more nautically inclined subjects, such as the Greeks and the Egyptians, to build their ships. Because of that, the navy was never completely embraced by the Roman state, and deemed somewhat "un-Roman".
Vir militaris The vir militaris (plural: viri militares) was a Roman legate (or general) that governed a consular military province of the Roman Empire. Tacitus mentioned the phrase "vir militaris" in some of his passages in order to describe ordinary soldiers or junior officers. Overall, the name was given to anyone who was experienced in military life or was given an opportunity to establish a reputation through warfare. According to Brian Campbell, the viri militares did not represent a homogeneous unit with special characteristics.