by Ray Gleason
Military Terminology
Besides the “formal” tactical terminology of the Roman army, little is known about how the soldiers actually spoke. They weren’t the types to leave a written records of their conversations.
As was related in the first book of the Gaius Marius Chronicle, The Gabinian Affair, the Roman legionary during the time of Caesar was more rustic than urban and more provincial than Roman. So, it is reasonable to believe that they incorporated words, grammatical constructions, and accents from their native languages into the Latin they used as the lingua franca of the legions. The author is reminded of the “Army English” he had to learn as an infantry recruit; it sounded more Southern than Yankee and had its own jargon. To “put the quietus” on something was to stop it; the plural of the noun “man” was often “mens”; and combat was described as “hitting the shit.” So, it’s reasonable to assume that the Roman muli in Caesar’s time had their own brand of spoken Latin, which would probably have made Cicero weep.
Also, the language used between soldiers tends to be direct, colorful, and, in a strange sense, intimate. That was the character of US Army “rhetoric.” Drill sergeants often referred to their charges as “maggots”; so Roman training officers may have called their tirones, blattae, “cockroaches.” Lazy or incompetent soldiers were referred to as “snuffies”; so the author invented the Latin term funguli for legionaries known to cut too many corners in the performance of their duties.
Other than that, the following list of Roman military jargon is perhaps just another example of a traditional, classical education gone dreadfully wrong!
Acies (pl. acies) – edge, battle line
Acies triplex – the triple line, standard battle formation of the Roman legion
Acies prima – The vanguard of the legion on the march or the front line of the
legion deployed for battle in the acies triplex; the First, Second, Third, and Fourth cohorts of the legion
Acies secunda – the middle line, the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh cohorts of the legion
Acies tertia – the rear line, the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth cohorts
Agmen (pl. agmines) – a marching column
Novissimum Agmen – the rearguard of the marching column; the rea, the caboose
Primum Agmen – the vanguard of the marching column, the “bleeding edge.”
Ala (pl. alae) – literally, a bird’s wing; an element of Roman cavalry roughly equivalent in numbers to forty to sixty troopers
A’mperi’tu’ – military jargon coined by the author, short for Ad imperatum tuum—“At your command”; this was one of the acceptable responses from a subordinate to a superior’s command.
Aquila (pl. aquilae) – literally, an eagle, a bird sacred to Iove; figuratively, the standard of a legion and its animus, its “life force, spirit, soul”; the worst disgrace that could befall a legion was to lose its aquila to an enemy.
Sub aquilis – literally, “under the eagles”; figuratively, “in the army.”
Aquilifer – an officer bearing the eagle standard of a Roman legion; also the “treasurer” of the legion handling payroll and burial club transactions.
Ballista (pl. ballistae) – a piece of Roman artillery that launched a large, arrowlike bolt over great distances
Balteus – a leather baldric used to suspend a sword. It was worn over the shoulder, passing down to the side where the sword was suspended. Enlisted men wore their swords on the right side; centurions and senior officers on the left.
Bestiola (pl. bestiolae) – literally, any small animal; in the jargon of the Roman army, it’s a derogatory term used to address trainees, equivalalent to “maggot” in English. (author)
Blatta (pl. blattae . . . there’s never only one of these things) – literally, a cockroach; figuratively, a legionary trainee.
Buccellatum – hardtack; part of a mulus’ marching rations.
Caliga (pl. caligae) – Roman, hobnailed military boots.
Capsarius – army slang for a field medic, one who carries a capsa, a box or satchel, which carried medical supplies
Capu’ – boss, chief, from Latin caput, “head”; modern Italian, capo. Military jargon coined by the author.
Carinus – ruddy brown; in this story, the standard color of an enlisted man’s sagum
Castigatio (pl. castigationes) – a minor military punishment; often a beating with a centurion’s vitis, his vine cudgel.
Castro’ – an “army brat;” mus castrorum, a “camp rat”; this is a soldier who was the offspring of a legionary and one of the mulieres castrorum, camp followers, and brought up in a legion’s vicus; these soldiers felt that they were familia legionis, members of the legion’s family, therefore superior to first-time enlistees; sometimes adopted as the soldier’s cognomen, e.g., Lucius Furius Castro or Lucus Fulius De Castris (author).
Castrum (pl. castra) – a legionary marching camp; these were constructed at the end of each daily march.
Cedo alteram, centurio! – “Hit me again, sir!” The expected response of a soldier undergoing castigatio.
Centuria (pl. centuriae) – a sub-unit of a Roman legion consisting of ten contubernia, eighty legionaries, commanded by a centurio
Centurio (pl. centuriones) – a centurion, a Roman officer who commands a centuria of eighty men
Centurio prior pilus – a senior centurion; a centurion of the first rank; in this novel, designates a centurion who commands a cohort and so would stand in the front rank of the cohort in the battle line.
Centurio primi ordinis – in this novel, designates a centurion of the first rank; a centurion who commands a century in any of the first four cohorts, which constitute the first rank of the legion in the acies triplex, the “triple battle line,” a battle formation favored by Caesar
Centurio primus pilus – “The First Spear”; senior centurion of a legion; commands the First Centuria of the First Cohors and also commands the First Cohors; in the absence of both the legatus legionis, the legionary commander, and the tribunus laticlavus, the “Broad-Stripe” tribune, commands the legion.
Centurio secundi ordinis – in this novel, designates a centurion of the second rank; commands a century in Cohorts Five, Six, or Seven, the second rank in the line of battle
Centurio tertii ordinis – in this novel, designates a centurion of the third rank; commands a century in Cohorts, Eight, Nine, or Ten, the third rank in line of battle; the reserve or “Forlorn Hope” of a legion
Chlamys (pl. chlamydes) – chainmail shoulder pads that fit over the lorica hamate, a legionary’s chainmail armor
Cingulum (pl. cingula) – a Roman military belt; this was one of the indicators of a soldier; it was decorated with an ornate buckle and highly polished metal bits; this and a razor-sharp pugio gave a mulus a bit of swagger when he went into town for wine and entertainment.
Cochleare (pl. cochleara) – a mess spoon; part of a legionary’s mess kit
Cohors (pl. cohortes) – an element of a Roman legion commanded by a senior centurion, consisting of six centuries, 480 legionaries
Comes (pl. comites) – a companion; an intimate; used to describe a general’s personal staff and / or members of his personal guard.
Contubernium (pl. contubernia) – a squad, a grouping of eight legionaries who share a tent in the field or a squad room in a permanent camp
Contubernales – members of a common contubernium, “mates,” “squaddies”
Cornex (pl. cornices) – literally, a crow; in military jargon, a field medic (author), a capsarius, who wore a black tunic in combat to hide the blood and gore on his uniform.
Cornices pascere – literally, to feed the crows; figuratively, to be evacuated to the aid
station.
Cornu (pl. cornua) – a Roman “brass” instrument about ten feet long in the shape of a musical G-clef; used to relay orders on the battlefield
Cornucen (pl. cornucines) – the horn-blower, a minor officer who carried a cornu to signal orde
rs over the field during battles.
Corona civica – Civic Crown, the second highest Roman military decoration, after the “grass crown”; reserved for a Roman citizen who saved the lives of fellow citizens by killing an enemy on a spot not again held by the enemy that same day; the citizens saved must bear witness to the act—no one else could be the verifying witness; any recipient of the Civic Crown was entitled membership in the Roman Senate.
Cuneus – the “boar’s snout”; a Roman infantry and cavalry offensive military formation, the wedge
Decanus – a junior legionary officer; commander of a contubernium; a squad leader
Decurio (pl. decuriones) – a junior cavalry officer commanding a turma, about thirty-five troopers.
Dicto pareo – literally, “to what is spoken I comply”; “Yes, sir!” Another acceptable response from a subordinate when given a command (author).
Dolabra (pl. dolabrae) – an entrenching tool; a versatile axe, pickaxe and mattock; no mulus would be caught without his or his centurion would have his guts for shoelaces.
Dux (pl. duces) – this was not a formal military title in the time of Caesar. Literally, the word denotes a leader. In this book, it means “chief” and refers to anyone in a leadership position who is viewed favorably by the troops (author). Also, it’s an honorary title given to native leaders of allied bands and auxiliary units.
Expeditus (pl. expediti) – unburdened, lightly armed, ready for combat
Explorator (pl. exploratores) – a scout, spy
Fabricator (pl. fabricatores) – an engineer, construction troop
Fossa – a ditch; part of the standard fortifications of a castrum
Fungulus (pl. funguli) – literally, a little mushroom, a fungus; figuratively, military slang for an incompetent soldier, a “snuffy” (author).
Furca (pl. furcae) – a pole on which a soldier carried his personal equipment on the march
Fustuarium – a severe military punishment; being beaten to death with clubs by the members of one’s contubernium; this is one of the few punishments inflicted in the Roman army where the victim is not expected to say, “Hit me again, sir!”
Galea (pl. galeae) – the standard Roman military helmet
Geminus (pl. gemini) – literally, a twin; figuratively, military fighting partners (author)
Gladius (pl. gladii) – the gladius hispaniensis, “Spanish short sword,” the basic Roman infantry short, stabbing sword
Hastae purae – a minor military decoration
Hastile – a wooden staff carried by an optio; in battle, the optio’s position was at the rear of the century; it is thought that the hastile was used to keep the battle line straight, discourage flight, and to beat legionaries back into line should they get some other idea
Immerda – from in merda, literally “in the shit”: figuratively, a Roman legionary’s characterization of a bad situation. Immerda sumus! We’re in the shit! (author)
Immunis (pl. immunes) – a military status in which a soldier was excused from fatigue details and got extra pay for doing some specialized job, like clerk, blacksmith, forager, etc.
Impedimentum (pl. impedimenta) – equipment, baggage, military kit
Impeditus (pl. impediti) – marching under a full field load or mulare, “to mule it”.(author)
Imperator – a Roman title given to a victorious commander by acclamation of the troops; a general
Imperium – basically, “power”; it is the power of the Roman state over individuals which in Caesar’s time was delegated by the Senate to a magistrate; also refers to the area where Roman law ran and where a Roman magistrate could wield the power of the state, imperium Romanum, “The Roman Empire.”
Interrogatio – interrogation, inquisition, a grilling; if a slave or non-citizen were undergoing an interrogatio, torture would typically be used; legions had immunis soldiers, carnifices, who were specialists in getting the answers a general wanted from prisoners.
Intervallum – an open area between the ramparts and tents in a castrum
Lagoena (pl. lagoenae) – water bottle, a canteen; part of a legionary’s field kit
Latrina – privy, water closet; the engineers were careful to place these downstream of the water and bathing point
Latus apertum – the right side; the “open side”; the side of an individual soldier or an entire military formation not protected by shields
Latus opertum – the left side; the side of an individual soldier or an entire military formation protected by shields
Legatus – a legate; a senior Roman officer appointed to assist a Roman magistrate in some manner; usually of the Senatorial order, an equestrian plebeian, or patrician; a political appointee, a client of the magistrate, a political favor, a nephew or an in-law, or someone the magistrate didn’t want to leave back in Rome, where he couldn’t keep an eye on him. Legatus Equitium – cavalry commander; an ad hoc assignment.Legatus legionis – a legate appointed as the army commander’s
representative in a legion; in Caesar’s time these appointments were not permament assignments but ad hoc based on the situation; tactical control of the legion in combat was usually left to the legion’s senior centurion, the primus pilus.
Loculus – a military satchel; part of a soldier’s marching pack
Lorica (pl. loricae) –upper-body armor of a Roman legionary; during the period of the story, it was the lorica hamata, made of iron chainmail for the enlisted men and plate armor for senior officers; men serving in the auxiliary units might wear leather loricae.
Medicus (pl. medici) – doctor; army medic
Mercurius (pl. mercurii) – Mercury, a Roman god; military slang invented by the author for a sestertius coin
Miles (pl. milites) – the basic word for a soldier; in this story, it’s what tirones, trainees, strive to become, milites Romani.
Minerva – Minerva, a Roman goddess; soldiers’ slang for a bronze triens coin (author)
Mulieres castrorum – women of the camps; camp followers
Mulare – “to mule it”; the Roman equivalent to the US Infantry expression “humping”; marching under a full load. (author)
Mulio (pl. muliones) – teamster, mule driver
Mulus (pl. muli) – literally, a mule; figuratively, army slang for an infantryman, a grunt (author); from the expression muli Marii, “Marius’ mules,” describing legionaries marching impedimenti, “loaded down” with their personal equipment, after the Roman general, Gaius Marius, unloaded the mules in the baggage train and loaded the gear onto the backs of the legionaries to improve the mobility of the legions
Murus (pl. muri) – a wall; in the military jargon of the author it describes a close-order defensive formation, a murus scutorum, a shield-wall
Nil ’scusationis mi’ – “I have no excuse!” One of the five responses authorized for a Roman legionary tiro, along with “Yes, Sir!”, “No, Sir!”, “Sir, I do not know!” and “Hit me again, Sir!” (author).
Obsequar ti’ – “I obey you!” Again, another acceptable reponse to a military order (author)
Optio (pl. optiones) – “chosen” one; a junior army officer; second in command of a centuria under the centurion
Ordo (pl. ordines) – rank in battle or a social class
Palus (pl. pali) – pole used to practice sword drill
Paratus – “Ready!” The only acceptable response when an officer asks Parat’ tu?—“Are you ready?”
Parma (pl. parmae) – cavalry shield
Passus (pl. passus) – a complete stride from when the right foot goes down until it comes down again; about five and a half feet on flat ground; the standard legionary daily march was twenty thousand passus
Patera (pl. paterae) – mess tin
Percussus – literally, a blow, strike, punch; in the book it’s used to describe a soldier’s use of dagger, sword, and offensive shield techniques; also, it means, “hit man,” someone who “punches” his victim with a dagger.
Perfututum �
�� FUBAR, totally screwed up! Much worse than immerda! (author)
Pes (pl. pedes) – a foot; army slang invented by the author for an infantryman, equivalent to the American military expression for an infantryman, a “leg.”
Phalera (pl. phalerae) – a military decoration
Pilleum (pl. pillea) – a cap worn by freed slaves; in the army, a cap worn under the galea for stability, fit and cushioning
Pilum (pl. pila) – Roman military javelin; really one of the legions’ secret weapons. It was essentially an antipersonnel device, but it was also used to render opponent’s shields unusable so the muli could close in for their sword work; the shaft bent on contact so the pilum could not be extracted from a shield or thrown back at the Roman line; a nasty piece of business.
Porta (pl. portae) – a gate, portal; a Roman marching camp, castrum, had four standard portae
Porta Decumana – the “Gate of the Tenth Cohort,” the back gate
Porta Praetoria – the main gate
Porta Principalis Dextra – right side gate
Porta Principalis Sinistra – left side gate
Posca – a drink made from vinegar and herbs; mother’s milk of a Roman soldier
Praefectus – commander; a Roman officer, often of the centurion or tribune status, in command of a legionary vexilliatio or an auxiliary unit
Praefectus castrorum – commander of the camps; senior centurion of the army
Praetorium – a headquarters
Preatoriani – headquarters security troops
Primus – literally, first; military jargon coined by the author for “Top Soldier,” Number One; reserved for senior centurions; in direct address, “Prime!” (pronounced PREEM-eh!)
Pteruges – the skirt of leather or fabric strips worn around the waists of Roman soldiers. They were often decorated with metal studs or embossed images.
Pugio (pl. Pugiones) – a knife used by Roman soldiers as a sidearm; along with the military belt, the pugio was one of the indicators of a soldiers status; it was considered a “noble” and “Roman” weapon, unlike the sica which was used by villains, thieves, scoundrels, backstabbers, throat-cutters, and barbarians from the east.