War and warfare unit 3 words Roman Military in the Imperial Period

**OCR CLASSICAL CIVILISATION GCSE WAR AND WARFARE** UNIT 3 (The Roman Military in the Imperial Period) DEFINITIONS, PRECISE TO TEXTBOOK

ala

a cohort of Roman cavalry, theoretically 512 strong

aquila

the emblem of the legion, an eagle made of gold set on a pole

aquilifer

the legionary soldier responsible for carrying the aquila

ballista

a Roman crossbow that fired iron darts

basilica

the large hall used for assemblies of troops in a Roman legionary fortress

camp prefect

the assistant to the legatus of a legion

centurion

the commander of the century in a Roman legion

century

a unit of about 80 men in a Roman legion (there were some double sized centuries of about 160 men)

cohort

the largest unit of a Roman legion; the first cohort of a legion had 5 double centuries; cohorts 2 to 10 each consisted of 6 centuries

contubernium

a unit of 8 men in a Roman legion who shared the same tent and dealt with their own mess arrangements

cornicen

the horn-player in a Roman legion who sounded orders to the soldiers

Imperial Period

the period of Roman history from 30BC when Rome was rules by emperors

legatus

the commander of the Roman legion

legion

the largest unit of the Roman army

navarch

the captain of a squadron of Roman naval ships

liburnae

swift Roman military ships which were used for scouting

onager

a Roman catapult that fired rocks and large stones at the enemy

optio

the centurion's deputy in a Roman legion

praefectus

the commander of a Roman naval fleet

praetorium

the private quarters of the legatus in a Roman fortress

primi ordines

the collective name for the five centurions of the first cohort of a Roman legion

primus pilus

the most senior centurion in the Roman legion

principia

the headquarters of a Roman fortress

signifer

the Roman soldier responsible for the century's standard

standard

a Roman war flag, the emblem of a century, a set of medallions hoisted on a pole

tesserarius

the Roman soldier in charge of organisation of guards and communication of passwords

testudo

a group of Roman soldiers advancing in formation with shields over their heads

tribunes

the six senior officers in a Roman legion after the legatus

tribuni angusticlavi

the five tribunes of equestrian rank in a Roman legion

tribuni laticlavius

the senior tribune of a Roman legion, of senatorial rank

turma

a Roman cavalry squadron of 32 horsemen

via praetoria

the road from the main gate to the principia in a Roman fortress

via principalis

the road crossing the camp in front of the principia in a Roman fortress

via quintana

the road crossing the camp behind the principia in a Roman fortress