The term ''accensi'' (: ''accensus'') is applied to two different groups. Originally, the ''accensi'' were light infantry in the armies of the early Roman Republic. They were the poorest men in the legion, and could not afford much equipment. They did not wear armour or carry shields, and their usual position was part of the third battle line. They fought in a loose formation, supporting the heavier troops. They were eventually phased out by the time of

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Ancient Carthage, Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For ...

. In the later

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

the term was used for civil servants who assisted the elected

magistrates The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a ''magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

, particularly in the

courts A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and administer justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law. Courts gene ...

, where they acted as ushers and

clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and administ ...

Infantry

History and deployment

''Accensi'' appear to have evolved from the old fifth class of the army under the Etruscan kings when it was reformed by

Marcus Furius Camillus Marcus Furius Camillus (; possibly – ) was a Roman statesman and politician during the early Roman republic who is most famous for his capture of Veii and defence of Rome from Gallic sack after the Battle of the Allia. Modern scholars are dub ...

. The fifth class was made up of the poorest soldiers in the legion who were equipped with slings and perhaps a small shield. They acted as skirmishers, screening their own formations and disrupting the enemy. It is likely that engagements with the

Samnites The Samnites () were an ancient Italic peoples, Italic people who lived in Samnium, which is located in modern inland Abruzzo, Molise, and Campania in south-central Italy. An Oscan language, Oscan-speaking Osci, people, who originated as an offsh ...

and a crushing defeat at the hands of the

Gauls The Gauls (; , ''Galátai'') were a group of Celts, Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman Gaul, Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). Th ...

taught the Romans the importance of flexibility and the inadequacy of the phalanx on the rough, hilly ground of central Italy.

Camillan system

In the early Camillan system of organisation of the 3rd and 4th centuries BC, men were sorted into classes according to wealth, the ''accensi'' being the poorest. ''Accensi'' were armed with slings which they used to hurl stones at enemy formations. They fought as

skirmishers Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They may be deployed in a skirmish line, an irreg ...

, wearing only a tunic and sometimes carrying a small round shield. In this type of legion, the 900 ''accensi'' formed 15 maniples, military units of 60 men each, which were in turn part of 15 '' ordines'', larger units made up of a maniple of ''

triarii ''Triarii'' (: ''triarius'') ("the third liners") 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 a ...

'', a maniple of '' rorarii'' and a maniple of ''accensi''. The ''accensi'' stood in the last line of the legion, behind the front line of ''

hastati ''Hastati'' (: ''hastatus'') were a class of infantry employed in the Structural history of the Roman military#Manipular legion (315 BC – 107 BC), armies of the early Roman Republic, who originally fought as spearmen and later as swordsmen. Th ...

'', the second line of ''

principes ''Principes'' (: ''princeps'') were Spear, spearmen, and later Swordsmanship, swordsmen, in the Roman army of the mid-Republic, armies of the early Roman Republic. They were men in the prime of their lives who were fairly wealthy, and could affo ...

'', the third of ''

'' and the fourth of ''rorarii''. In a

pitched battle A pitched battle or set-piece battle is a battle in which opposing forces each anticipate the setting of the battle, and each chooses to commit to it. Either side may have the option to disengage before the battle starts or shortly thereafter. A ...

, the ''

leves ''Leves'' (: ''levis'') were javelin-armed skirmishers in the army of the early Roman Republic. They were typically some of the youngest and poorest men in the legion, and could not afford much equipment. They were usually outfitted with just a ...

'', javelin armed skirmishers who were attached to maniples of ''hastati'', would form up at the front of the legion and harass the enemy with javelin fire and cover the advance of the ''hastati'',

spear A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...

armed infantry. If the ''hastati'' failed to break the enemy, they would fall back and let the ''principes'', heavier and more experienced infantry, take over. If the ''principes'' did not break them, they would retire behind the ''triarii'', who would then engage the enemy in turn—hence the expression ''rem ad Triarios redisse'', "it has come to the ''triarii''"—signalling an act of desperation. The ''

equites The (; , though sometimes referred to as " knights" in English) constituted the second of the property/social-based classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the senatorial class. A member of the equestrian order was known as an (). Descript ...

'', cavalrymen, were used as flankers and to pursue routing enemies. The '' rorarii'', the poorer reserve soldiers, and ''accensi'', the least dependable troops armed with slings, would be used in a support role, providing mass and supporting wavering areas of the line.

Polybian system

By the time of the later Polybian system of the 2nd century BC, ''accensi'' had been phased out. ''

Velites ''Velites'' (; : ) 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 (), each with a 75cm (30 inch) wooden shaft the diameter of a finger, with ...

'', light skirmishers, would now fulfill skirmishing duties and troops that would usually have gone into the accensi would now be excluded from service.

Civil servants

As with the

lictor A lictor (possibly from Latin language, Latin ''ligare'', meaning 'to bind') was a Ancient Rome, Roman civil servant who was an attendant and bodyguard to a Roman magistrate, magistrate who held ''imperium''. Roman records describe lictors as hav ...

s, A''ccensi'' were usually professional civil servants, providing assistance to the elected

during their term in office. In the courts, they summoned witnesses, kept track of time, and helped keep order. Outside of the courts, they escorted the magistrate and acted as heralds. They also helped in writing

edict An edict is a decree or announcement of a law, often associated with monarchies, but it can be under any official authority. Synonyms include "dictum" and "pronouncement". ''Edict'' derives from the Latin edictum. Notable edicts * Telepinu ...

s and

laws Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a Socia ...

. It is also possible they were messengers and

orderlies In healthcare, an orderly (also known as a ward assistant, nurse assistant or healthcare assistant) is a hospital attendant whose job consists of assisting medical and nursing staff with various nursing and medical interventions. These duties a ...

. The ''Accensi Velati'' were non military participants of military campaigns. They probably assisted clerks, accountants, supply officials, and aides. The''y'' also assisted religious affairs especially the Feriae Latinae, formed a

collegium A (: ) or college was any association in ancient Rome that Corporation, acted as a Legal person, legal entity. Such associations could be civil or religious. The word literally means "society", from ("colleague"). They functioned as social cl ...

dedicated to managing the streets, and had a centuriate assembly dedicated to them.

References