Eagles at War (58 page)
primus pilus
: the senior centurion of the whole legion, and possibly – probably – the senior centurion of the First Cohort. A position of immense importance, it would have been held by a veteran soldier, in his forties or fifties. On retiring, the
primus pilus
was entitled to admission to the equestrian class. (See also the entry for legion.)
principia
: the headquarters in a Roman camp, to be found at the junction of the
via principalis
and the
via praetoria
. It was where the administrative centre and where the standards of the units in the camp were kept. Its grand entrance opened on to a colonnaded and paved courtyard which was bordered on each side by offices. Behind this was a huge forehall with a high roof, which contained statues, the shrine for the standards, a vault for the soldiers’ pay and perhaps more offices. It is possible that parades took place here, and that senior officers addressed their men in the hall.
Rhenus: the River Rhine.
Rura: the River Ruhr.
Sala: the River Saale.
scutum
(pl.
scuta
): an elongated oval Roman army shield, about 1.2 m tall and 0.75 m wide. It was made from two layers of wood, the pieces laid at right angles to each other; it was then covered with linen or canvas, and leather. The
scutum
was heavy, weighing between 6 and 10 kg. A large metal boss decorated its centre, with the horizontal grip placed behind this. Decorative designs were often painted on the front, and a leather cover was used to protect the shield when not in use, e.g. while marching. It’s recorded that Varus’ legionaries’ shields became so wet from the rain that they were hard to fight with.
sestertius
(pl.
sestertii
): a brass coin, it was worth four
asses
; or a quarter of a
denarius
; or one hundredth of an
aureus
. Its name, ‘two units and a half third one’, comes from its original value, two and a half
asses
.
signifer
(pl.
signiferi
): a standard-bearer and junior officer. This was a position of high esteem, with one for every century in a legion. Often the
signifer
wore scale armour and an animal pelt over his helmet, which sometimes had a hinged decorative facepiece, while he carried a small, round shield rather than a
scutum
. His
signum
, or standard, consisted of a wooden pole bearing a raised hand, or a spear tip surrounded by palm leaves. Below this was a crossbar from which hung metal decorations, or a piece of coloured cloth. The standard’s shaft was decorated with discs, half-moons, crowns and representations of ships’ prows, which were records of the unit’s achievements and may have distinguished one century from another. (See also the entry for legion.)
Styx: the river in the underworld across which the dead had to travel, paying the ferryman a coin for the passage. The ritual of placing a coin in deceased people’s mouths arose from the ancients’ perceived need for money after death.
tesserarius
: one of the junior officers in a century, whose duties included commanding the guard. The name originates from the
tessera
tablet on which was written the password for the day. (See also the entry for legion.)
testudo
: the famous Roman square formation, formed by legionaries in the middle raising their
scuta
over their heads while those at the sides formed a shield wall. The
testudo
, or tortoise, was used to resist missile attack or to protect soldiers while they undermined the walls of towns under siege. The formation’s strength is reputed to have been tested during military training by driving a cart pulled by mules over the top of it.
tribune (in Latin,
tribunus
): a senior staff officer within a legion. During Augustus’ rule, the number of tribunes attached to each legion remained the same (six), but one was more senior than the rest. This tribune, the
tribunus laticlavius
, was of senatorial rank, and was second-in-command of the legion, after the legate. He was often in his late teens or early twenties, and probably served in the post for one year. The other tribunes, the
tribuni angusticlavii
, were a little older, and of equestrian stock. They tended to serve in their posts for longer, and to have more military experience. (See also the entry for legion.)
trireme: the classic Roman warship, which was powered by a single sail and three banks of oars. Each oar was rowed by one man, who was freeborn, not a slave. These ships had a large crew in proportion to their size. This limited the triremes’ range, so their main use was as troop transports and to protect coastlines.
turmae
(sing.
turma
): a ten-man cavalry unit. In the early principate, each legion had a mounted force of 120 riders. This was divided into twelve turmae, each commanded by a decurion. (See also the entries for
ala
and legion.)
ursarius
(pl.
ursarii
): a legionary who also worked as a bear-catcher. (See also the Author’s Note.)
valetudinarium
: the hospital in a legionary fort. These were usually rectangular buildings with a central courtyard. They contained up to sixty-four wards, each similar to the rooms in the legionary barracks which held a
contubernium
of soldiers.
Venus: the Roman goddess of motherhood and domesticity.
Vetera: Xanten.
via praetoria
: one of the two main roads in any Roman camp. It joined the gateways in the longer sides of the rectangular fort.
via principia
: the other main road in a Roman camp. It led from the front gate to the
principia
, which lay on the far side of the
via praetoria
.
vicus
: the Roman term for a settlement without the status of a town.
Vindonissa: Windisch.
Visurgis: the River Weser.
vitis
: the vine stick carried by centurions. It was used as a mark of rank and also to inflict punishment.
Vulcan (in Latin, Vulcanus): a Roman god of destructive fire, who was often worshipped to prevent – fire!
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ISBN 9781848094048
