- The Roman Legion was the largest unit of the Roman Army and by the 1st century BCE consisted of over 5,000 men and 120 Cavalry.
- At first, the Roman Army raised temporary Legions based on the Greek Phalanx System (550-315 BCE), later using the Samnite Maniple System (315-107 BCE). Finally, the Romans created a Professional Standing Army with the Legions organised on the Cohort System (107 BCE-476 CE).
Famous Roman Generals
- Marcus Furius Camillus (446-365 BCE)
- Scipio Africanus (c.236-183 BCE)
- Marius (157-86 BCE)
- Sulla (138-78 BCE)
- Lucius Licinius Lucullus (118-c.56 BCE)
- Pompey (106-48 BCE)
- Julius Caesar (c.100-44 BCE)
- Mark Anthony (83-30 BCE)
- Agrippa (c.64-12 BCE)
- Nero Claudius Drusus (38-9 BCE)
The Cohort System (104 BCE-c.290 CE)
- Legion
- Total men: varied between 5,300-6,000.
- Consisted of 10 Cohorts of 4,800 men, (excluding officers) plus one Cavalry Unit Equites of 120 men. Commanded by a Legatus Legionis or a ‘Legatus Augusti pro praetor’.
- Cohort
- 6 Centuries of 480 men (excluding officers) commanded by a senior Centurion.
- First Cohort
- 5 double strength Century of 800 men, commanded by the Primus Pilus
- Century
- 10 Contubernium of 80-100 men commanded by the Centurion.
- Contubernium (Tent Group)
- 8 men commanded by the Decanus.
- Equites Legionis (Cavalry Unit)
- Under the Empire, 120 man Cavalry Units were Auxilia (Roman Auxiliaries), attached to the Legion.
- The Veterans
- Retired Legionaries who had received their Discharge, but had been invited to rejoin the Legion.
- Vexillatio (temporary detachment)
- Varied from 80 to 1,000 men.
- This was a temporary Unit, but consisting of a formally constituted Force, taken from the Legion and posted temporarily elsewhere.
- It was commanded either by a military Tribune or a senior Centurion.
- Auxilia (Roman Auxiliaries)
- Non-Roman Citizen Army, recruitment from the Peregrini in the Provinces, and grouped into Cohorts of approximately 500 men, which were attached to each Legion.
- Each Legion had an Auxiliary Army attached to it, consisting of approximately the same number of men as in the Legion (c. 5,000 in 10 Cohorts of 500).
Commanding Officers
- “Legatus Augusti pro praetor”
- The Imperial Legate.
- This was a political office, occupied by a Patrician.
- He commanded two or more Legions.
- He was also Governor of the Province where these Legions were based.
- During the Roman Republic he was a Consul, under the Roman Empire he was a Proconsul.
- He was appointed by the Roman Emperor for 3-4 years.
- The Imperial Legate.
- Legatus Legionis
- The Legionary Legate.
- This was also a political office, usually occupied by a Senator.
- He commanded one Legion, and its Auxiliary Army.
- He would also act as Imperial Legate – Governor of the Province – if there was only one Legion based there.
- Appointed by the Roman Emperor for 3 to 4 years.
- The Legionary Legate.
- Tribunus Laticlavius
- Tribune.
- He was from the Patrician (Senatorial) Class.
- Named after the style of Roman Toga worn by the Senatorial class, which had a broad stripe.
- He was the Second in Command to the Legionary Legate.
- If the Legionary Legate died in Battle, the Tribunus Laticlavius replaced him.
- Appointed either by the Roman Emperor or the Roman Senate.
- He was a young and inexperienced officer on the first rung of the Cursus Honorum.
- Tribune.
- Prefectus Castrorum
- Camp Prefect.
- He was the Third in Command, but not from the Patrician class.
- He was a very experienced soldier, who had usually served as a Primus Pilus, and completed his 25 years service.
- He was the Officer who drilled the Legion in peacetime, and advised the Tribunus Laticlavius in wartime.
- Camp Prefect.
- Tribuni Angusticlavii
- Junior Tribune.
- Named after the style of Toga worn with a narrow stripe.
- There were 5 in each Legion.
- They were from the Equestrian class.
- They were more experienced than the Tribunus Laticlavius, and had more battle experience.
- They often acted as administrators.
- Junior Tribune.
- Primus Pilus
- He was the Senior Centurion of the whole Legion.
- He was the commanding Centurion of the First Cohort.
- He was the Senior Centurion of the whole Legion.
- Centurion
- Each Cohort had 6 Centurions each commanding one century of 80 men.
- Every Legion had 59 Centurions.
- There were 10 Cohorts in each Legion.
- There were 6 Centuries in each of the 10 Cohorts, except the Cohors I, which only had 5 Centuries.
- The Centurions (Officers) wore their swords on the left, whereas the Legionaries wore their swords on the right.
- Titles of the Six Centurions in a Cohort
- Centuria I: Pilus Prior, who also commanded the Cohort. (Except the Cohors I, which was commanded by the Primus Pilus).
- Centuria II: Pilus Posterior
- Centuria III: Princeps Prior
- Centuria IV: Princeps Posterior
- Centuria V: Hastatus Prior
- Centuria VI: Hastatus Posterior
- Each Cohort had 6 Centurions each commanding one century of 80 men.
Principales: Non-commissioned Officers
- Aquilifer
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- One only.
- He was one step below the Centurion and carried the Eagle of the Legion.
- He marched at the head of the Century.
- He received double the Legionary Pay.
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- Signifer
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- One for each Century. Total 59. This was one step below Aquilifer.
- He carried the Centurial Signum – a decorated spear.
- He was responsible for the Legionaries Pay and Pensions.
- It was the symbol for each Century, around which the soldiers rallied in Battle.
- He marched at the head of the century.
- He received double the Legionary Pay.
- The Signifer wore a Bearskin over his helmet.
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- Optio
- Tesserarius
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- One for each Century. Total 59.
- They were the Guard Commanders, with similar responsibilities to the Optio.
- He was paid one and a half times Legionary Pay.
- He marched at the head of the century.
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- Cornicen
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- One for each Century: Total 59.
- They were the Hornblowers, attached to the Signifer, bringing attention to the Centurial Signum, and shouting the Officers commands.
- He received double the Legionary Pay.
- He marched at the head of the Century.
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- Imaginifer
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- One only, attached to Cohors I.
- He carried a Bust of the Roman Emperor made of Metal.
- He marched at the head of the Cohors I, with the Aquilifer.
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- Draconarius
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- Every Legion had 6.
- They carried the Draco, the symbol of each Cohort.
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- Decanus
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- Every Legion had 590.
- There were 10 in each Century.
- He commanded each Contubernium of 8 men.
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The Legionaries
- Immunes
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- Artillerymen, Doctors, Engineers, Surveyors, Architects, Musicians, Weapons Instructors and other Specialists. Their Pay was slightly higher than Legionary Pay.
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- Discens
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- Training in a profession to become an Immunes (up to several years). Basic Legionary Pay.
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- Milites
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- Known as a Munifex or Miles Gregarius or Legionarius:
- The unspecialised Private Soldier. Basic Legionary Pay.
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- Tirones
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- Training to become a Munifex (for up to 6 months).
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Roman Weapons