Roman Legions

These consisted of about 5 000 infantry soldiers divided into ten cohorts of six centuries, which were further divided into 8-man units who ate and slept together, often a small cavalry squadron, and about 1000 non-combatants. A consul's legion was commanded by up to six elected military tribunes but if the general was not a consul at the time, it was under a legate or the general himself.

Titles

Base Creator
I Minervia Rhine  
I Italica Lower Moesia  
I Adiutrix Misenum/Upper Pannonia Nero
II Adiutrix Misenum fleet Nero
I Germanica Bonna  
II Parthica   Septimius Severus
II Augusta Rhine, Britain  
III Augusta    
III Syrenaica Arabia  
III Gallica Syria  
IV Scythica Syria  
IV Macedonia Rhine  
V Macedonica Moesia  
VI Valeria Victrix Lower Germany, Britain  
VI Ferrata Palestine  
VII Claudia Danube  
XI Hispana    
X Gemina Upper Pannonia  
X Fretensis    
XI Claudia    
     
XIV Gemina Marcia Victrix Rhine Augustus
XV Primigenia Vetera  
XV Apollinaris Upper Euphrates  
XVI Gallica Novaesium  
     
XX Valeria Marcia Victrix Britain  
XXI Rapax    
XXII Primigenia Upper Germany  
     
XXX Ulpia Victrix Lower Rhine  

Military Ranks

imperator (Emperor) originally meant 'general'
legatus commander (had to be of senatorial rank)
prefectus prefect
praefectus fabrum civilian appointed by general to equip and supply all the army's needs
tribunus (senior + junior) legate's staff
primipilus (primus pilus - first spear) leading centurion
princeps senior auxiliary centurion
specularius spy
cornicularis head of commissariat
centurion commanded 100 men (about 60 per legion)
decurion commanded 10 men
contubernalis subaltern or military cadet
miles gregarius ordinary soldier or legionary
Imaginifer standard bearer
   
auxiliaries non-citizen legions, often conquered tribesmen

Crowns

A crown or corona was a military decoration awarded for acts of bravery.

Crown

(most important first)

Translation Awarded for:

Corona Graminea grass crown saving a whole legion or army
Corona Civica civic crown, oak leaves saving lives of fellow soldiers, and holding the ground to the end of the battle
Corona Aurea gold crown killing an enemy in single combat and holding the ground to the end of the battle
Corona Muralis crenellated gold crown being first over the walls when storming a city
Corona Navalis gold crown decorated with ships' beaks bravery during a sea battle
Corona Vallaris gold crown being first across ramparts of an enemy camp

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This collection of names compiled by Kate Monk. Copyright January 1997, Kate Monk. Last updated April, 97. Copies may be made for personal use only.


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