Aquilifer – The standard-bearer who carried the eagle of the legion.
As – A small copper coin worth approx. a fifth of a sestertius.
Aureus (pl. Aurei) – Valuable gold coin worth twenty-five denarii.
Auxiliary – Non-citizen soldiers recruited from the provinces as light infantry or for specialist tasks, e.g. cavalry, slingers, archers.
Beneficiarius – A legion’s record keeper or scribe.
Caligae – Sturdily constructed, reinforced leather sandals worn by Roman soldiers. Normally with iron-studded sole.
Century – Smallest tactical unit of the legion, numbering eighty men.
Cohort – Tactical fighting unit of the legion, normally contained six centuries, apart from the elite First cohort, which had five double-strength centuries (800 men).
Colonia – A colony of retired legionaries set up and given special rights and dispensations on the orders of the Emperor.
Consul – One of two annually elected chief magistrates of Rome, normally appointed by the people and ratified by the Senate.
Contubernium – Unit of eight soldiers who shared a tent or barracks.
Cornicen – Legionary signal trumpeter who used an instrument called a cornu.
Decurio – A junior officer in a century, or a troop commander in a cavalry unit.
Denarius (pl. Denarii) – A silver coin worth four sestertii.
Domus – The house of a wealthy Roman, e.g. Nero’s Domus Aurea (Golden House).
Duplicarius – Literally ‘double pay man’. A senior legionary with a trade or an NCO.
Equestrian – Roman knightly class.
Fortuna – The goddess of luck and good fortune.
Gladius (pl. Gladii) – The short sword of the legionary. A lethal killing weapon at close quarters.
Governor – Citizen of senatorial rank given charge of a province. Would normally have a military background (see Proconsul).
Jupiter – Most powerful of the Roman gods, often referred to as Optimus Maximus (greatest and best).
Legate – The general in charge of a legion. A man of senatorial rank.
Legatus iuridicus – Legal official of senatorial rank appointed to aid the governor of a province.
Legion – Unit of approximately 5,000 men all of whom would be Roman citizens.
Lictor – Bodyguard of a Roman magistrate. There were strict limits on the numbers of lictors associated with different ranks.
Lituus – Curved trumpet used to transmit cavalry commands.
Manumission – The act of freeing a slave.
Mars – The Roman god of war.
Mithras – An Eastern god popular among Roman soldiers.
Ordo – The council of a hundred leading citizens responsible for running a Roman town.
Ordovices – Celtic tribe which inhabited the mountainous area of north Wales.
Pannonians – Members of a powerful Balkan tribe which lived in what is now Hungary. Provided auxiliary units for the Roman Empire in return for relief from tribute and taxes.
Phalera (pl. Phalerae) – Awards won in battle worn on a legionary’s chest harness.
Pilum (pl. Pila) – Heavy spear carried by a Roman legionary.
Praefectus Castrorum – Literally camp prefect, the second in command of a Roman legion, often a soldier who had risen through the ranks.
Praetorian Guard – Powerful military force stationed in Rome. Accompanied the Emperor on campaign, but could be of dubious loyalty and were responsible for the overthrow of several Roman rulers.
Prefect – Auxiliary cavalry commander.
Primus Pilus – ‘First File’. The senior centurion of a legion.
Principia – Legionary headquarters building.
Proconsul – Governor of a Roman province, such as Britannia or Syria, and of consular rank.
Procurator – Civilian administrator subordinate to a governor.
Quaestor – Civilian administrator in charge of finance.
Scutum (pl. Scuta) – The big, richly decorated curved shield carried by a legionary.
Senator – Patrician member of the Senate, the key political institution which administered the Roman Empire. Had to meet strict financial and property rules and be at least thirty years of age.
Sestertius (pl. Sestertii) – Roman brass coin worth a quarter of a denarius.
Signifer – Standard bearer who carried the emblem of a cohort or century.
Spatha – Sword wielded by Roman cavalry. Longer and heavier than the gladius.
Testudo – Literally ‘tortoise’. A unit of soldiers with shields interlocked for protection.
Tribune – One of six senior officers acting as aides to a Legate. Often, but not always, on short commissions of six months upwards.
Tribunus laticlavius – Literally ‘broad stripe tribune’. The most senior of a legion’s military tribunes.
Vexillatio – A detachment of a legion used as a temporary task force on independent duty.
Victimarius – Servant who delivers and attends to the victim of a sacrifice.
Victory – Roman goddess equivalent to the Greek Nike.
Acknowledgements
Once again I’m indebted to my editor, Simon Taylor, Vivien Thompson and the team at Transworld, and my wonderful copy-editor, Nancy Webber, for helping make this book what it is, and my agent, Stan, of Jenny Brown Associates, for his constant support and encouragement. I wouldn’t be a writer without the support of my wife Alison and that of my children, Kara, Nikki and Gregor. John Wacher’s The Towns of Roman Britain and Philip Crummy’s City of Victory helped me navigate the changing landscape of post-Boudiccan Britannia. Roman Military Equipment by M. C. Bishop and J. C. N. Coulston was invaluable for recreating an authentic Roman military, and Exploring the World of the Celts by Simon James and Miranda J. Green’s The Druids performed a similar function for my depiction of the rites and religious traditions of the native inhabitants of Roman Britain and Wales.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A journalist by profession, Douglas Jackson transformed a lifelong fascination for Rome and the Romans into his first two highly praised and bestselling novels, Caligula and Claudius. His third novel, Hero of Rome, introduced readers to his new series hero, Gaius Valerius Verrens. Seven more novels recounting the adventures of this determined and dedicated servant of Rome have followed, earning critical acclaim and confirming Douglas as one of the UK’s foremost historical novelists. An active member of the Historical Writers’ Association and the Historical Novel Society, Douglas Jackson lives near Stirling in Scotland.
For more information on Douglas Jackson and his books, see his website at www.douglas-jackson.net
Also by Douglas Jackson
CALIGULA
CLAUDIUS
HERO OF ROME
DEFENDER OF ROME
AVENGER OF ROME
SWORD OF ROME
ENEMY OF ROME
SCOURGE OF ROME
SAVIOUR OF ROME
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First published in Great Britain in 2017 by Bantam Press
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