Eagles in the Storm
Page 35
Padus: the River Po.
Parthia: an ancient empire encompassing much of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and southeastern Turkey.
phalera (pl. phalerae): a sculpted disc-like decoration for bravery which was worn on a chest harness over a Roman officer’s armour. Phalerae were often made of bronze, but could also be made of silver or gold. I have even seen one made of glass. Torques, arm rings and bracelets were also awarded to soldiers.
Praetorians: historically the escort of an army commander during the Roman republic. Augustus established a permanent force in 27 BC. Some of the soldiers were stationed in Rome to protect him, but the majority were posted in nearby towns, perhaps because of the political sensitivity of having troops in the capital. Praetorian cohorts were recorded as part of both Drusus’ and Germanicus’ armies in Germania.
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.
Raeti: a confederation of Alpine tribes living in parts of modern day central Switzerland, the Austrian Tyrol and the Alpine regions of Italy and Germany.
Rhenus: the River Rhine.
Rura: the River Ruhr.
Sala: the River Saale.
Saltus Teutoburgiensis: the Latin term for the Teutoburg Forest. It’s possible that the first word may mean other things, such as ‘narrows’.
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.
shield: the Roman army shield or scutum was an elongated oval, 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 shield 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.
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 face piece, 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, ships’ prows and crowns, records of the unit’s achievements and which may have distinguished one century from another. See also the entry for legion.
spatha (pl. spathae): the Roman cavalry sword, a much longer blade than the gladius.
subarmales (sing. subarmalis): see entry for legionary.
Suebi: a Roman ‘cover all’ term for a number of German tribes.
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.
Tres Galliae: three of the four Gaulish provinces were ruled by the imperial governor of Germania: Belgica, Lugdunensis and Aquitania.
tribune (in Latin, tribunus): a senior staff officer within a legion. During Augustus’ rule, the number (six) of tribunes attached to each legion remained the same, 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.
triumph: the procession at Rome of a general who had won a large-scale military victory. It travelled from the plain of Mars outside the city walls to the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill.
tropaeum: derived from the Greek word tropaion, this was a display of captured arms and weapons erected at the supposed point where an enemy army first broke. The manner of its assembly and construction was as I recounted in the novel. The description of Germanicus’ tropaeum after the battle of Idistaviso is one of the surviving accounts of such displays.
turmae (sing. turma): thirty-man cavalry units. In the early principate, each legion had a mounted force of 120 riders. This was divided into four turmae, each commanded by a decurion. There were also 500-man-strong auxiliary cavalry units, called alae, which were commanded by prefects, equestrian officers. See also the entry for legion.
Vetera: Xanten.
vicus: the Roman term for a settlement without the status of a town.
Vindelici: a Celtic people living in parts of modern day northeastern Switzerland and southern/southeastern Germany.
Vindonissa: Windisch.
virtus: a desired characteristic in ancient Rome. It embodied bravery, excellence and manliness.
Visurgis: the River Weser.
vitis: the vine stick carried by centurions. It was used as a mark of rank and also to inflict punishment. A brutal centurion in first-century-AD Germany had the nickname of ‘Cedo alteram’, or ‘Bring me another’.
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