Centurion

A centurion (Latin: centurio; Greek: κεντυρίων), also hecatontarch in Greek sources (Greek: ἑκατόνταρχος or, in Byzantine times, κένταρχος) was a professional officer of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. Most centurions commanded 83 men despite the commonly assumed 100, but senior centurions commanded cohorts, or took senior staff roles in their legion. Centuries, or Centuriae, means tribe or company. Theoretically, this word tra... more

A centurion (Latin: centurio; Greek: κεντυρίων), also hecatontarch in Greek sources (Greek: ἑκατόνταρχος or, in Byzantine times, κένταρχος) was a professional officer of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. Most centurions commanded 83 men despite the commonly assumed 100, but senior centurions commanded cohorts, or took senior staff roles in their legion. Centuries, or Centuriae, means tribe or company. Theoretically, this word traces its roots to centum which is latin for one-hundred , but that connection is widely disputed or disregarded. In the Roman infantry, centurions initially commanded a centuria or "century", which means company or tribe. Centuries, or Centuriae, developed from the Roman Tribal system under the Servian reforms and could contain anywhere from 40 to 240 men. This became 80, at full strength, under the Marian reforms. Later, generals and Caesars further manipulated these numbers with double and half-strength units. Gaius Julius Caesar, for... less