Accelera:Roman military command, equivalent to 'faster'.
Ad dextram:Roman military command, equivalent to 'turn to the right'.
Ad gladium, clina:Roman military command, equivalent to 'right face'.
Ad scutum, clina:Roman military command, equivalent to
'left face'.
Ad senestram depone:Roman military command, equivalent to
'turn to the left'.
Ad signa:Roman military command, 'fall in'.
Aelia: A unit raised or honoured by the Emperor Hadrian Aelia.
Aestiva: A campaign base occupied for the summer, found in Britain during the early 1st century, some of the sites known in Britain as vexillation fortresses may have been aestiva, see also hiberna
Ambulatura: the Roman legions 'field day', training march held three times per month.
Ala: 'wing', auxiliary cavalry regiment.
Armillae: Armbands.
Asturum: A unit raised from the Astures, a people from north-west Spain.
Ballista: An arrow firing artillery piece. See Weapons.
Barcariorum: A unit that used barcae, 3rd century lighters or barges. They may have been used for military action in inshore waters or for logistical support.
Batavorum: A unit raised from the inhabitants of present-day Netherlands, such units were renowned for their river crossing capabilities
Bracaraugustanorum: A unit raised from the Bracares,a people from north-west Spain.The name comes from the tribal capital Bracara Augusta.
Canabae: A settlement that grew-up outside a legionary fortress, see also vicus
Catapult: Any artillery engine. See Weapons.
Centurions: Commanded centuries(eighty men) in legions and cohorts, and were the senior professional officers in a unit; in legions the third in command of a legion (praefectus castrorum) was often an ex-centurion
Civium Romanorum: Auxiliary units could be granted block citizenships for achievements on the battle field, the title would remain even though the grant of citizenship was only to those troops serving at the time; the title was also used for a small number of auxiliary units raised originally from citizens
Classis: The fleet, the name was accompanied by a geographical name, thus Classis Britannica and Classis Germanica; the fleets had an important logistical role
Clavicula: Curved extension of camp defences to protect entrances usually only of temporary camps, see titulum
Cohors millaria: Unit consisting of ten centuries.
Cohors peditata: Unit consisting of six centuries.
Contubernium: A tent for eight soldiers, later also the name for a room in barrack blocks also housing eight men
Corona civila: Award given for saving the life of a comrade.
Corona muralis: Award given to the first man over the wall of a besieged city.
Dacorum: A unit raised in Dacia, present-day Romania.
Delmatorum: A unit raised in Dalmatia.
Dolabra:a pick axe, carried by all legionaries.
Donatives: Rich prizes or donations often given by the highher ranks to the lower in return for helping their imperial ambitions.
Equestrian: The social group after the Senatorial class in seniority, the "landed gentry" of the Empire, in the early Empire eligible for the post of Praefect (commander) of auxiliary regiments; following Diocletian's separation of the military and civil careers and his banning of senators from military positions, equestrians became eligible for all army commands
Exploratum: Units of scouts or reconnaissance troops in Britain primarily associated with the outpost forts on Hadrian's Wall
Flavian: From the family name, Flavius, of the Emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian.
Flavia: The family name of the Flavian Emperors indicates a unit raised or honoured during this period
Flavius: Family name of the Emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian who reigned from 69 AD to 96 AD.
Fort: Base for an auxiliary unit, usually between 1 and 4 ha in size
Fortlet: Base for part of an auxiliary unit, usually less than 1 ha in size, distinguished from forts by lacking a principia
Fortress: Base for a legion, usually around 20 ha in size
Frisiorum: Indicates a unit raised from the Frisii, inhabitants of present-day Netherlands
Galea: An iron helmet
Genius: 'spirit' of the legion, instilled in the Eagle.
Gladius: Roman short sword, used for jabbing, not slicing.
Hamiorum: Indicates a unit raised from the Hamii, inhabitants of present-day Syria, renowned for their archery skills and unlike other units may have continued to recruit from Syria
Hasta pura: Silver spearshaft, awarded only to officers.
Hiberna: A winter base for troops on campaign, found in Britain during the early 1st century, before permanent forts and fortresses were built, some of the sites known in Britain as vexillation fortresses may have been hiberna, see aestiva
Immunes:'Exempted men', specialists within a unit such as surveyors,ditchers, smiths, wagon makers, plumbers, stonecutters,lime burners and clerks.
Intra:Roman military command meaning 'rear half files, move back'.
Legate: Commander of a legion, drawn from the senatorial class, eligible after successful completion of this and other posts in strict order, for selection as governor of a province; Cerialis and Agricola both commanded legions in Britain before becoming governors of the province; Vespasion, legate of Legio II Augusta during the conquest, made a successful bid to be Emperor in 69 AD
Ligo: entrenching tool, carried by all legionaries.
Lingonum: In a unit's name indicates it was raised in Upper Germany
Lorica: Body armour in its most basic form, i.e.,animal
hide, hardened leather being the most obvious.
Lorica segmentata: corselet of segmented iron strips.
Lorica Squamata: Scale armour.
Lorica Hamata: Chain mail armour.
Milliaria: A cohort or ala of close to 1,000 men, exact numbers differ depending on the type of unit (see Quingenaria)
Names, Roman: From the end of the 1st century citizens had three parts to their names - praenomen, nomen and cognomen for example Marcus Ulpia Traianus, the Emperor more commonly known in English as Trajan
Nervia: In a unit's name indicates it was raised by the Emperor Nerva
Nerviorum: Indicates a unit raised from the Nervii, inhabitants of present-day Belgium
Notalis aquilae: 'eagle's birthday', the anniversary of the legions foundation.
Onager: A one armed stone-throwing artillery engine. See Weapons.
Optio: lieutenant, second in command of a century.
Pannoniorum: Indicates a unit raised from Pannonia, present-day Hungary
Patera: an all-purpose mess pan, for cooking, eating, and
drinking, made of bronze, or possibly brass.
Phalerae: Ornamental bosses worn on the breastplate.
Pilum: spear with a wooden shaft and an iron head, tempered at the point but not at the shaft, so that it bent on impact with the ground or an enemies shield.
Praetorian Guard: The Emperor's Household troops, abolished by Constantine; see also Urban Cohorts
Principalis: Grade of a lerionaire whho could read and write, from an orderly room sergeant for his legion to a 'signifer' or standard bearer in charge of mens savings.
Principia: The headquarters building in a fortress or fort
Probatio: initial interview of a Roman legionaire before a committee establiished for this purpose by the governor of a province.
Pugio: A dagger.
Quingenaria: A cohort or ala of close to 500 men in strength, exact numbers differed depending on the type of unit (see Milliaria)
Raetorum: Indicates a unit raised from Raetia including present-day Bavaria and the Tyrol
Sarmatarum: Indicates a unit raised from the Sarmartians captured during Marcus Aurelius's campaigns in the present-day Czech and Slovak Republics in the second half of the 2nd century
Scutum: A semi-circular shield made of wood edged with bronze, used by Roman legionaries.
Singulares: Guards, cavalry and infantry, for the Emperor and provincial governors
Situla: a cookpot, or bucket, ranging in size from 7-10" in height, and 5-8" in diameter. See also 'vas'.
Senators: The foremost groups of Roman citizens, eligible to command legions (legate) and to govern provinces
Staingate: The post-Roman name for the road across Britain from the Tyne to the Solway
Sudes: palisade stake carried by legionaries, approximately 2" in diameter, pointed at both ends and narrow in the middle, forming a handle. See also 'vallis'.
Testudo: Tortoise shell formation.
Thracum: Indicates a unit raised from Thrace mainly present-day Bulgaria
Tigrisensium: In a unit's name indicates previous service on the River Tigris
Titulum: A stretch of ditch some distance in front of a gateway to give protection to the gateway usually only of temporary camps, see clavicula
Torquata: A title awarded to units rather than individuals for achievements on the battle field, the torque would appear on the unit's standard
Torques: Necklaces.
Tres militiae: The military career path of an equestrian - commander (praefect) of an auxiliary cohort; legionary tribune; praefect of an ala
Tribune: One of the six senior officers after the legate of a legion; one, the second in command, was the tribunus laticlavius from the senatorial classes starting his career, the other five from the equestrian classes and in mid career, see tres militiae
Tungrorum: Indicates a unit raised from the Tungri, inhabitants of present-day Belgium
Turmae: A troop of between 30 and 32 cavalry men.
Urban Cohorts: Five cohorts based in and around Rome, from the Flavian period the number in Italy is reduced to four with one in Carthage and another at Lyons
Ulpia: The family name of the Emperor Trajan, in a unit's name indicates it was raised or honoured by this Emperor
Vallis:: palisade stake carried by legionaries, approximately 2" in diameter, pointed at both ends and narrow in the middle, forming a handle. See also 'sudes'.
Vardullorum: Indicates a unit raised from the Vardulli, inhabitants of present-day Spain
Vas: a cookpot, or bucket, ranging in size from 7-10" in height, and 5-8" in diameter. See also 'situla'.
Vasconum: Indicates a unit raised from the Vascones, inhabitants of present-day northern Spain
Vettonum: Indicates a unit raised from the Vettones, inhabitants of present-day central Spain
Vexillatio: A detachment of legionary or auxiliary troops operating away from their home commands; in the later Empire a name for an infantry regiment
Vexillation fortress: Name given by British archaeologists (ie not a translation of a Roman term) to large forts of between 10 and 15 ha in size that may include aestiva and hiberna as well as longer term bases for parts or whole legions in the less settled conditions of the early conquest of Britain, before the fortresses were built under Nero and the Flavians
Viaticum: 'traveling money', or enlistment bounty given to new recruits.
Vicus: A settlement that grew-up outside auxiliary fort, see also canabae
