| A | B |
|---|
| pedites | formed the backbone of the army |
| legio | largest infantry unit; |
| cohors | a tenth of a legion, or 360 men; roughly equivalent to a battalion in the US Army |
| manipulus | a third of a cohort, or 120 men |
| centuria | the samllest unit of infantry; one half of a maniple, or 60 men (originally containing 100 men) |
| pedites | consists of Roman citizens between the ages of seventeen and forty-six |
| auxilia | auxiliary troops |
| sagittarii | a type of auxilia; bowmen and archers from Crete and Numidia |
| equites | cavalry; noncitizens from Spain, Gaul, and Germany |
| legio | compared to a division or brigade in the US Army |
| ala | a cavalry squad of about 300 men |
| turma | cavalry squad of about 30 men, or one tenth of an ala |
| decuria | cavalry squad of 10 men, or one third of a turma |
| mercatores | a noncombatant; traders who conducted canteens outide the camp, selling the soldiers extra provisions and buying booty from them |
| pedites | volunteered to serve for twenty years |
| exploratores/speculatores | scouts/spies: usually mounted; sent ahead to reconnoiter and secure information about the enemy and the terrain |
| dux | comanding officer or general |
| imperator | commander-in-chief; a dux assumed this title after his first important victory |
| legio | in the Gallic war, Caesar had as amy as ten of these |
| legati | staff officers; next in rank to the dux |
| tribuni militum | military tribunes; lowest ranking commision officers |
| centuriones | centurions or captains; noncommissioned officers of plebian origin offi |
| praefecti | prefects; in command of auxiliaries of cavalry |
| decuriones | in comand of decuriae |
| legati | equivalent to the lieutenant-general in the US Army; men of senatorial rank appointed by the Roman Senate |
| hiberna | winter quarters |
| quaestores | quartermasters |
| legati | in charge of the hiberna |
| quaestores | handled pay, military equipment and food supply |
| tunica | short sleeved woolen undergarment, reaching almost to the knees |
| sagum | a woolen cloak for severe weather; also served as a blanket |
| caligae | leather shoes, fastened on by straps with heavy hobnail soles |
| lorica | a breastplate, made of leather and strengthened with metal bands |
| galea | a helmet made of leather or metal |
| scutum | a curved rectangular shield made of wood weighing twenty pounds |
| pilum | a javelin or pike about six feet long, weighing approx. ten pounds |
| gladius | a heavy, pointed, 2-edged sword about 2 feet long |
| aquila | eagle--the standard of the legion |
| aquilifer | eagle bearer |
| signum | the standard of a cohort or maniple |
| signifer | the signum bearer |
| acies triplex | the usual battle formation fo a Roman legion (triple line) |
| tuba | trumpet; used to give signals in battle |
| cornu | horn; used to give signals in battle |
| primum agmen | the vanguard, consisting of scouts, cavalry squads, and light-armed infantry men |
| agmen | the main column of the legionary troops |
| novissimum agmen | the rear guard, consisting of the least experienced legionaries |
| impedimenta | heavy baggage; carried on pack animals or in wagons |
| sarcina | personal pack of a soldier; caried over the left shoulder in a bundle tied to a forked pole |
| castra | camp; built after a days march for protection |
| fossa | a ditch or a trench dug around the camp |
| agger | an embankment constructed from the earth of the fossa, 10 feet high surrounding the camp |
| prima vigilia | first watch (6 to 9) |
| tertia vigilia | thrid watch (12 to 3) |
| aries | a battering ram made of a heavy log with a metal head |
| quarta vigilia | fourth watch (3 to 6) |
| scala | a ladder for scaling walls |
| secunda vigilia | second watch (9 to 12) |
| testuda | a protective screen formed by overlapping shields (tortoise shell) |
| turris ambulatoria | a huge, moveable, wooden tower, several stories high |
| ballista | a amchine for hurling heavy stones an blocks of wood |
| catapulta | a machine for hurling large arrows and javelins |
| scorpio | a light catapult for hurling stones and darts |
