![]() The army was split into different cohors (cohorts). The primus pilus was the most senior of all the centurions and was allowed a seat on the empire’s military council.īy the 1st century BC, the Roman army had gone through yet another restructuring. If a centurion managed to live long enough, he could rise to the rank of primus pilus. This inevitably meant the centurions had a disproportionately high fatality rate. Centurions were expected to take a position in the first rank of their troops during a battle and lead by example. To help him, this centurion was allowed to appoint his own junior officer (called an optio). Each manipuli had sixty centuriae units that answered to their centurion commander. Legions were divided into thirty manipuli. The organization of the army had changed once again by the end of the 2nd century BC. Each centurion then only commanded a group of thirty infantry, allowing more micro-management. They were now deployed in three lines of troops (called acies triplex). The manipuli were changed to be more flexible. The 4th century BC saw a further shake-up of the army. Each legion was made up of around 4,500 men: 3,000 heavy hoplite infantry, 1,200 light infantry, and 300 cavalrymen. By the end of the 6th century BC, the army was made up of two legions. In reality, it is likely the role of the centurion was incorporated into the armed forces to help control Rome’s growing and constantly evolving army. The rank was granted to the army's bravest and most courageous men. The rank was incorporated into the Roman army during the 5th century BC by the Etruscan king of Rome, Servius Tellius. ![]() According to him, the centurion rank was of Etruscan origin. Greek historian Polybius described the manipulus formations of the 3rd – 2nd century BC Punic Wars in his text The Histories (Cristiano64 / CC BY SA 4.0 )ĭionysus of Halicarnassus, a Greek historian from the 1st century BC, told a different tale. The organization of the Roman military, and the forces under centurion control, changed over the centuries. Each manipulus had its own standard (a signa). These infantry groups of one hundred men were called a manipulus. A quick bit of math tells us that each centurion led his own group of one hundred men. He was said to have had 3,000 men under his command, led by thirty centurions. The Roman army of the mid-8th century BC was led by Rome’s namesake, Romulus. In Roman tradition, the rank of centurion went back to Rome’s first army. (Hans Splinter / CC BY ND 2.0 ) Who Were the First Centurions? Historical reenactor in centurion costume, from LEGIO SECVNDA AVGVSTA. Roman Weapons: Sharp Blades to Conquer the Ancient World.The Roman Legions: The Organized Military Force Of The Roman Empire.Being a pen-pusher was less glamorous than leading the charge in battle, but it was more lucrative and much safer. After serving his time, a successful centurion could leave the bloodshed behind and become a high-level administrator of the empire. The life of a centurion was not solely spent on the front line, however. As an officer, the centurion would assign his men duties, hand out punishments, and carry out various administrative duties. Each centurion commanded a unit of legionaries numbering roughly one hundred (hence the name). Generally speaking, a centurion was an officer in the Roman army. Who or What Was a Centurion?Īs we will see, the role of the centurion evolved with the Roman army. When a situation got rough, the common legionary turned to their centurion. Centurions were military officers famed for their experience and valor in battle. In the case of the Roman army, these were the centurions, Rome’s most elite troops. ![]() Yet an army is only as good as its leaders. The Romans? They were famous for their foot troops, the legionaries. For example, Egypt was famed for its chariots and Greece for its navy. The ancient world had some impressive military forces. ![]()
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