HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

This is a list of
Roman army The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval contin ...
units and bureaucrats. *'' Accensus'' – Light infantry men in the armies of the early Roman Republic, made up of the poorest men of the army. *'' Actuarius'' – A military who served food. *''Adiutor'' – A camp or headquarters adjutant or assistant. *'' Aeneator'' – Military musician such as a bugler. *''
Agrimensor ''Gromatici'' (from Latin '' groma'' or ''gruma'', a surveyor's pole) or ''agrimensores'' was the name for land surveyors amongst the ancient Romans. The "gromatic writers" were technical writers who codified their techniques of surveying, mo ...
'' – A surveyor (a type of '' immunes''). *'' Antesignano'' – Supposedly a light infantry unit of legionaries who were used for protection of marching columns and to provide security to legions. *'' Aquilifer'' – Bearer of the legionary eagle. *'' Ala'' – a military formation composed of conscripts from the Italian military allies. *'' Alaris'' – A cavalryman serving in an '' ala''. *''
Auxilia The (, lit. "auxiliaries") were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 30 BC. By the 2nd century, the Auxilia contained the same number of inf ...
'' – were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 30 BC. *'' Architecti'' – An engineer or artillery constructor. *'' Armicustos'' – A soldier tasked with the administration and supply of weapons and equipment. A quartermaster. *''
Ballistarius Ballistarius (plural ''ballistarii'') were infantrymen of the Roman army who handled ballistae. They were classed as immunes, exempt from fatigue duty of entrenching or building. Notes See also * List of Roman army unit types This is a list ...
'' – An artillery operator (a type of ''immunes''). *''Beneficiarius'' – A soldier performing an extraordinary task such as military policing or a special assignment. *'' Bucellarii'' – were formations of escort troops. *'' Bucinator'' – A trumpeter or bugler. *''Cacula'' – Servant or slave of a soldier. *'' Capsarior'' – A medical orderly. *'' Causarius'' – A soldier discharged for wounds or other medical reasons. *''
Celeres __NoToC__ The ''celeres'' () were the bodyguard of the Kings of Rome. Traditionally established by Romulus, the legendary founder and first King of Rome, the celeres comprised three hundred men, ten chosen by each of the curiae.Livy, i. 15. Th ...
'' - A royal guard created by Romulus to guard the King of Rome. *'' Centurion'' – Officer rank, generally one per 80 soldiers, in charge of a ''centuria''. *'' Clinicus'' – A medic. *'' Cohors amicorum'' – Military staff company functioning as suite and bodyguard of a high Roman official. *'' Comes'' – commanders of comitatenses. *'' Comes stabuli'' – A office responsible for the horses and pack animals. *'' Comitatenses'' – units of the field armies of the late empire. They were the soldiers that replaced the legionaries. *'' Cornicen'' – A bugler. *'' Doctor'' – A trainer, subdivisions for everything from weapons to horn blowing. *'' Draconarius'' – Bearer of a cavalry standard. *'' Decurion'' – Leader of a troop of cavalry (14-30 men). Often confused with ''decanus''. *'' Decanus'' – Leader of a ''contubernium'' (a legionary tent group of 8 men). *'' Discens'' – ''Miles'' in training for an ''immunis'' position. *'' Duplarius'' – A soldier issued double pay, such as an
Optio An , plural ( lat, italic=yes, optiō, , from , "to choose", so-called because an was chosen by a centurion), was a position in a '' centuria'' (century) of a Roman army similar to that of an executive officer. The main function of an was a ...
or a minor cavalry officer as part of a
Turma A ''turma'' ( Latin for "swarm, squadron", plural ''turmae''), ( Greek: τούρμα) was a cavalry unit in the Roman army of the Republic and Empire. In the Byzantine Empire, it became applied to the larger, regiment-sized military-administrati ...
*'' Dux'' – A general in charge of two or more legions. In the Third Century AD, an officer with a regional command transcending provincial boundaries, responsible directly to the emperor alone, usually appointed on a temporary basis in a grave emergency. In the fourth century AD, an officer in charge of a section of the frontier answering to the ''
Magister Militum (Latin for "master of soldiers", plural ) was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine the Great. The term referred to the senior military officer (equivalent to a war theatre commander, ...
''. *''
Duumviri navales The Duumviri navales, literally two men dealing with naval matters, were two naval officers elected by the people of Rome to repair and equip the Roman fleet. Both Duumviri navales were assigned to one Roman consul, and each controlled 20 ships. It ...
'' – Two men elected to equip and repair the Roman navy. *'' Equites singulares Augusti'' – Elite cavalry unit tasked to guard the Roman Emperors. Usually commanded by a ''tribunus'' of praetorian rank. *''
Evocatus An ''evocatus'' (plural ''evocati'') was a soldier in the Ancient Roman army who had served out his time and obtained an honorable discharge ('' honesta missio'') but had voluntarily enlisted again at the invitation of the consul or other commande ...
'' – A soldier who had served out his time and obtained his discharge (''missio''), but had voluntarily enlisted again at the invitation of the consul or other commander. *'' Evocatus Augusti'' –
Praetorian Guard The Praetorian Guard (Latin: ''cohortēs praetōriae'') was a unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort fo ...
who had served out his time and obtained his discharge (''missio''), but had voluntarily enlisted again. *'' Equites'' – Roman cavalry *'' Foederati'' – For groups of "barbarian" mercenaries of various sizes who were typically allowed to settle within the empire. *'' Frumentarii'' – Officials of the Roman Empire during the 2nd and 3rd era. Often used as a
Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. Fo ...
, mostly operating in uniform. *'' Hastatus'' – The youngest of the heavy infantry in the pre-Marian armies, who were less well-equipped than the older ''Principes'' and ''Triarii''. These formed the first line of battle in front of the ''Principes''. *'' Hastatus Prior'' – A centurion commanding a ''manipulus'' or ''centuria'' of ''hastati''. A high-ranking officer within a ''manipulus'' or ''centuria''. *'' Hastatus Posterior'' – A deputy to the ''hastatus prior'' *'' Hastiliarius'' – A weapons instructor. *'' Imaginifer'' – A standard-bearer carrying the imago – the standard which bore a likeness of the emperor, and, at later dates, his family. *'' Immunes'' – Soldiers who were "immune" from combat duty and fatigues through having a more specialist role within the army. *''
Katepano The ''katepánō'' ( el, κατεπάνω, lit. "he oneplaced at the top", or " the topmost") was a senior Byzantine military rank and office. The word was Latinized as ''capetanus/catepan'', and its meaning seems to have merged with that of th ...
'' – A Byzantine military rank or military official. *''
Laeti Laeti , the plural form of laetus , was a term used in the late Roman Empire to denote communities of ''barbari'' ("barbarians"), i.e. foreigners, or people from outside the Empire, permitted to settle on, and granted land in, imperial territory ...
'' – was a term used in the late empire to denote communities of foreigners permitted to settle on, and granted land in, imperial territory on condition that they provide recruits for the Roman military. *''
Legatus legionis A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the office ...
'' – A legion commander of senatorial rank; literally the "deputy" of the emperor, who was the titular commander-in-chief. *'' Limitanei'' – A unit of frontier districts. *''
Legatus pro praetore A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the officer ...
'' – Provincial governor of senatorial rank with multiple legions under his command. *'' Legionary'' – The heavy infantry that was the basic military force of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. *''
Magister militum (Latin for "master of soldiers", plural ) was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine the Great. The term referred to the senior military officer (equivalent to a war theatre commander, ...
'' - High ranked commander in the late Roman Empire. Equivalent of a general. *'' Medicus'' – Physician or combat medic. Specializations included surgery (''medicus vulnerarius''), ophthalmology (''medicus ocularius''), and also veterinary (''medicus veterinarius''). At least some held rank equivalent to a centurion. *'' Megas doux'' – Commander-in-chief of the
Byzantine navy The Byzantine navy was the naval force of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it was a direct continuation from its Imperial Roman predecessor, but played a far greater role in the defence and survival of the state than ...
. *'' Miles'' or ''Miles Gregarius'' – The basic private level foot soldier. *'' Numerus'' – A unit of barbarian allies not integrated into the regular army structure. Later, a unit of border forces. *'' Numerus Batavorum'' – was a personal, imperial guards unit for the Roman emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (30 BC – AD 68) composed of Germanic soldiers. *''
Optio An , plural ( lat, italic=yes, optiō, , from , "to choose", so-called because an was chosen by a centurion), was a position in a '' centuria'' (century) of a Roman army similar to that of an executive officer. The main function of an was a ...
'' – One per century as second-in-command to the centurion. Could also fill several other specialized roles on an ''ad hoc'' basis. *'' Palatini'' – were elite units of the late army. *'' Pedites'' – The infantry of the early army of the Roman kingdom. The majority of the army in this period. *'' Peditatus'' – A term referring to any infantryman in the Roman Empire. *'' Pilus Prior'' – Senior centurion of a cohort. *'' Pilus Posterior'' – Deputy to the ''pilus prior''. *'' Praefectus Castrorum'' – Camp prefect, third-in-command of the legion, also responsible for maintaining the camp, equipment, and supplies. Usually a former ''primus pilus''. *'' Praefectus Cohortis'' - Commander of a cohort. *'' Praefectus legionis agens vice legati'' – Equestrian officer given the command of a legion in the absence of a senatorial ''legatus''. After the removal of senators from military command, the title of a legionary commander. ("''...agens vice legati'', dropped in later Third Century") *'' Praetorians'' – A special force of bodyguards used by Roman Emperors. *'' Praetorian prefect'' – Commander of the Praetorians. *''
Primicerius The Latin term ''primicerius'', hellenized as ''primikērios'' ( el, πριμικήριος), was a title applied in the later Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire to the heads of administrative departments, and also used by the Church to denote th ...
'' – was a rank junior to the tribunus and senior to the senator. *'' Primus Ordinis'' – The commanding officer of each ''centuria'' in the first cohort with the exception of the first ''centuria'' of the cohort. *'' Primus Pilus'' (literally 'first file' ) – The centurion commanding the first cohort and the senior centurion of the entire Legion. *'' Princeps'' – Pre-Marian soldier, initially equipped with the ''Hasta'' spear, but later with the ''pilum'', these men formed the second line of battle behind the ''Hastati'' in the pre-Marian armies. They were also chieftains in Briton like Dumnorix of the Regneses (he was killed by Gaius Salvius Liberalis' soldiers). *'' Princeps Prior'' – A centurion commanding a ''century'' of ''principes''. *'' Princeps Posterior'' – A deputy to the ''princeps prior''. *'' Principales'' – A group of ranks, including ''aquilifer'', ''signifer'', ''optio'', and ''tesserarius''. Similar to modern NCOs ( Non-commissioned officers). *'' Protectores Augusti Nostri'' ( ''Protectores Divini Lateris'') – Honorific title for senior officers singled out for their loyalty to the Emperor and soldierly qualities. The ''protectores'' were an order of honor rather than a military unit. The order first appeared in the mid-200s AD. *'' Quaestionarius'' – An interrogator or torturer. *'' Retentus'' – A soldier kept in service after serving required term. *'' Rorarii'' – The final line, or reserve, in the ancient pre-Marius Roman army. These were removed even before the Marian reforms, as the ''Triarii'' provided a very sturdy anchor. *'' Sagittarii'' – Archers, including horse-riding auxiliary archers recruited mainly in North Africa, Balkans, and later the Eastern Empire. *'' Salararius'' – A soldier enjoying special service conditions or hired as a mercenary. *'' Scholae'' – was used in the late Roman Empire to signify a unit of Imperial Guards. *'' Scholae Palatinae'' – An elite troop of soldiers created by the Emperor Constantine the Great to provide personal protection of the Emperor and his immediate family. *'' Scorpionarius'' – An artilleryman operating a '' scorpio'' artillery piece. *''Sesquiplicarii'' – A soldier issued one-and-a-half times pay, such as a Tesserarius or a minor cavalry officer as part of a
Turma A ''turma'' ( Latin for "swarm, squadron", plural ''turmae''), ( Greek: τούρμα) was a cavalry unit in the Roman army of the Republic and Empire. In the Byzantine Empire, it became applied to the larger, regiment-sized military-administrati ...
*'' Signifer'' – Standard bearer of the Roman Legion. *''Simplares'' - A soldier paid standard pay; a regular legionaire or somebody paid the equivalent *''
Socii The ''socii'' ( in English) or '' foederati'' ( in English) were confederates of Rome and formed one of the three legal denominations in Roman Italy (''Italia'') along with the Roman citizens (''Cives'') and the '' Latini''. The ''Latini'', who ...
'' – Troops from allied states in the pre-Marian army before the Social War (91–88 BC) * ''Speculatores'' and ''Exploratores'' – The scouts and reconnaissance element of the Roman army. *'' Supernumerarii'' – Supernumerary soldiers who served to fill the places of those who were killed or disabled by their wounds. Also used for the cavalry contingent of a legion during the
Principate The Principate is the name sometimes given to the first period of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the so-called Dominate. ...
, who despite being included on the cohort lists, camped separate to the infantry. *''
Strategos ''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek to mean military general. In the Helleni ...
'' - General and military governor of a theme in the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
. *'' Stratelates'' – A Greek translation for the rank of ''magister militum'' that was used in the late Roman and Byzantine armies. *'' Stratopedarches'' – A term originally used to refer to a Roman camp prefect, it was later used for a Roman or Byzantine general or a Byzantine commander-in-chief. *'' Tablifer'' – A standard-bearer for the guard cavalry. *'' Tesserarius'' – Guard commander, one per ''centuria''. *'' Tirones'' – A basic trainee. *''Torquati'' - A soldier issued with a golden collar in reward for bravery or valor. Depending on circumstances, they may also be rewarded with double pay, making them ''Torquato Duplares'' *''
Triarii ''Triarii'' (singular: ''Triarius'') were one of the elements of the early Roman military manipular legions of the early Roman Republic (509 BC – 107 BC). They were the oldest and among the wealthiest men in the army and could afford high qu ...
'' – Spearmen of the pre-Marian armies, equipped with the Hasta, who formed the third line of battle behind the ''Principes''. *''
Tribuni angusticlavii A ''tribunus angusticlavius'' ("narrow-striped tribune"; plural: ''tribuni angusticlavii'') was a senior military officer in the Roman legions during the late Roman Republic and the Principate. The ''tribunus angusticlavius'' was a junior milit ...
'' – Military tribune of equestrian rank, five of whom were assigned to each legion. *'' Tribunus militum'' - Officer in the Roman army who ranked below the legate but above the centurion. *'' Tribunus militum laticlavius'' – Military tribune of senatorial rank. Second in command of a legion. Appointments to this rank seem to have ceased during the sole reign of Gallienus as part of a policy of excluding senators from military commands. *'' Tubicen'' – A trumpeter. *'' Urbanae'' – A special police force of Rome, created to counterbalance the Praetorians. *''
Velites ''Velites'' (singular: ) were a class of infantry in the Roman army of the mid-Republic from 211 to 107 BC. ''Velites'' were light infantry and skirmishers armed with javelins ( la, hastae velitares), each with a 75cm (30 inch) wooden shaft the ...
'' – A class of light infantry in the army of the Roman Republic. *'' Venator'' – A hunter (a type of '' immunes''). *'' Vexillarius'' – Bearer of a '' vexillum'' (standard). *'' Vigiles'' – were the firefighters and police.


Sub-units of the Roman legion

Before the
Marian reforms The Marian reforms were reforms of the ancient Roman army implemented in 107 BC by the statesman Gaius Marius, for whom they were later named. The reforms originated as a reaction to the military and logistical stagnation of the Roman Republic ...
of 107 BC the structure of the legions was as follows: *'' Contubernium'' – The smallest organized unit of soldiers in the Roman Army. It was composed of eight legionaries led by a '' decanus''. When on the march a Legion would often march ''contubernium''-abreast (8-abreast). In the Imperial Legion, ten ''contubernia'' formed a ''centuria''. * Maniple (''Manipulus'') – The pre-Marian sub-unit of the Roman Legions, consisting of 120 men (60 for the ''Triarii''). * ''Legio'' (Republic) – A legion in the pre-Marian armies consisted of 60 ''manipuli'' of infantry and 10 ''turmae'' of cavalry. By 250 BC, there would be four Legions, two commanded by each Consul: two Roman legions which would be accompanied by an additional two allied Legions of similar strength and structure. For every Roman Legion there would be an allied Legion. *''
Turma A ''turma'' ( Latin for "swarm, squadron", plural ''turmae''), ( Greek: τούρμα) was a cavalry unit in the Roman army of the Republic and Empire. In the Byzantine Empire, it became applied to the larger, regiment-sized military-administrati ...
'' – A unit of cavalry in the pre-Marian army, which usually consisted of 32 horsemen. After the reforms of Gaius Marius, the organisation of the legions became standardised as follows: *'' Contubernium'' – The smallest organized unit of soldiers in the Roman Army. It was composed of eight legionaries led by a '' decanus''. Ten ''contubernia'' formed a ''centuria''. *''
Centuria ''Centuria'' (, plural ''centuriae'') is a Latin term (from the stem ''centum'' meaning one hundred) denoting military units originally consisting of 100 men. The size of the century changed over time, and from the first century BC through most ...
'' – 80 men under the command of a '' centurion'' and his ''
optio An , plural ( lat, italic=yes, optiō, , from , "to choose", so-called because an was chosen by a centurion), was a position in a '' centuria'' (century) of a Roman army similar to that of an executive officer. The main function of an was a ...
''. Six ''centuriae'' formed a ''cohors''. * ''Cohors'' (cohort) – A ''cohors'' consisted of 480 men. The most senior ranking ''centurion'' of the six ''centuriae'' commanded the entire ''cohors''. *First Cohort (''Cohors Prima'') – The first cohort was a double strength cohort (consisting of five double-strength ''centuriae''), numbering 800 men (excluding officers). The centurion of its first ''centuria'', the '' Primus Pilus'', commanded the first cohort and was also the most senior centurion in the legion. * ''Legio'' (Imperial) – A legion was composed of nine cohorts and one first cohort. The legion's overall commander was the ''
legatus legionis A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the office ...
'', assisted by the '' praefectus castrorum'' and other senior officers. *'' Vexillatio'' – A temporary task force of one or more ''centuriae'' detached from the legion for a specific purpose. A ''vexillatio'' was commanded by an officer appointed by the ''Legatus''.


References

{{Ancient Rome topics Military units and formations of ancient Rome Military ranks of ancient Rome Late Roman military ranks