Centurion (Roman army)
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Centurion Cornelius
A centurion (Latin: centurio; Greek: hekatontarchos) was a professional officer of the Roman army. Centurions commanded a centuria (or century, but often not a hunderd men but rather 80, between 30 and 160 soldiers and noncombatants).
- The centurions in command of cohorts II-X were pilus prior, pilus posterior, princeps prior, princeps posterior, hastatus prior, and hastatus posterior .
- The command of each manipulus (a legionary tactital unit of two centuriae) fell to the Centurio of the one on the right
- As a centurion grew in seniority, he could command a cohort, and eventually become primus pilus ("first spear") of a Roman legion.
- The centurion's uniform was marked by two alterations from standard Roman uniform: his helmet crest was side to side instead of back to front, and he wore greaves. The centurion also carried a vine staff as a badge of office, sometimes used to beat delinquent soldiers.nl:Centurio
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