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Centurion. A historical reenactor in Roman centurion costume. Note that the vambraces used in this reconstruction are an anachronism. In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (/ sɛnˈtjʊəriən /; Latin: centurio [kɛn̪ˈt̪ʊrioː], pl. centuriones; Greek: κεντυρίων, translit. kentyríōn, or Greek ...
- Tribunus Laticlavius
- Legatus Legionis
- Legatus Augusti Proparetore
- Praefecti
- Tribunus Angusticlavii
- Praefectus Castrorum
- Centurion
- Primi Ordines
- Pilus Prior
- Optio
The senior officers were drawn from Rome’s senatorial class. Though the senate lost most of its political power under the empire, families of senatorial rank were still the elite. Like the nineteenth century aristocracy, they expected senior military positions to go to them. The tribunus laticlavius was the second-in-command of a legion, the most j...
The legatus legionis commanded a legion, a force of just under 5000 men divided into ten cohorts. He was a senator, usually in his early 30s – a man who had chosen a military career.
The highest rank an officer could reach was the legatus Augusti proparetore, the military governor of a province of the empire. The careers of most senators combined military and political duties, so they were prepared for such a role, but with so few posts only a minority reached such heights. The legatus commanded an entire province such as Syria...
The next social class down from the senators were the equestrians, roughly equivalent to medieval knights, and they had their own ranks in the military. The usual career path followed three steps – praefecti of an auxiliary infantry cohort, tribunus anticlavius, and then praefecti of a cavalry unit. Commanding an auxiliary unit did not have the sam...
In between their two praefecti positions, equestrian officers served in the legions as tribune angusticlavii. These were staff officers, and there were five of them in each legion. Though much of their work involved carrying out the orders of senatorial officers, there were also opportunities for independent command. Detachments of soldiers were of...
The third in command of a legion was the praefectus castrorum, the camp prefect. Unusually for such a senior position, this was usually an experienced soldier who had been in the army for most of his adult life. A former chief centurion, he dealt with much of the administration and with command tasks that required technical knowledge of how the leg...
The lowest position an equestrian might hold was also the highest an ordinary soldier could expect to achieve – centurion. These men commanded centuries in the legions or the auxiliary – in the legions, these usually consisted of 80 men. These were the officers who commanded men on a day to day basis, both in war and in camp. Some men started their...
The most senior centurions were the primi ordines, centurions in the first cohort of a legion. Centurions might work their way up to this prestigious role through posts in other centuries.
The century was the unit men most identified themselves with, but the cohort of six centuries was the basic battlefield unit of a legion. Someone must have commanded the cohort in battle, and though we don’t know for certain, it is likely that this task fell to the pilus prior, the commander of the senior century in the legion. As these different r...
The optio was a centurion’s second in command, supporting him in organising and commanding 80 men. This was one of three posts collectively known as the principales.
Aug 6, 2024 · army. centurion, the principal professional officer in the armies of ancient Rome and its empire. The centurion was the commander of a centuria, which was the smallest unit of a Roman legion. A legion was nominally composed of 6,000 soldiers, and each legion was divided up into 10 cohorts, with each cohort containing 6 centuria.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jul 4, 2014 · Definition. The Centurion (centurio in Latin) was an officer in the Roman army whose experience and valour were a crucial factor in maintaining order on the battlefield and ensuring Rome 's military successes spanned over centuries. A centurion commanded a unit of around 100 legionaries but was also responsible for assigning duties, dishing out ...
- Mark Cartwright
Oct 28, 2022 · In Roman tradition, the rank of centurion went back to Rome’s first army. The Roman army of the mid-8th century BC was led by Rome’s namesake, Romulus. He was said to have had 3,000 men under his command, led by thirty centurions. A quick bit of math tells us that each centurion led his own group of one hundred men.
- Robbie Mitchell
Dec 22, 2017 · The term Centurion referred to a type of officer serving in the Roman army. Not all of them held the same position. For example, the primi ordines, the Centurions of the first cohort in each legion, held a higher status than others. However, the role fulfilled by Centurions was mostly the same. Centurion was the highest rank usually held by men ...
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Feb 14, 2024 · The position of a junior commander, the centurion, was the most respected and desired role for a Roman legionary. Noble Romans from the equestrian class could immediately claim this title upon ...
