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The following entries only include those terms which are mentioned
in the Vindolanda tablets.
Officers
Legatus Augusti or consularis: the title of the provincial
governor of Britain (and of the other provinces to which the emperor
made direct appintments) was legatus Augustus pro praetore.
The governor of Britain was always a person who had held the consulship
and the term consularis is frequently used as an alternative
form of reference (abbreviated to cos).
Legatus legionis: the commander of a legion, a man of senatorial
status normally with the rank of ex-quaestor or ex-praetor (two
of the positions in the senatorial career held before the consulship,
at the ages of about 25 or 30 respectively). The term clarissimus
uir is applied to individuals of senatorial status (abbreviated
to c u).
Centurio regionarius: a centurion, normally from a legion,
appointed to the military and administrative supervision of a particular
geographical area.
Praefectus cohortis: the equestrian officer in command of
an auxiliary cohort. Milliary cohorts were normally commanded by
tribuni but the Tungrian cohorts seem exceptionally to have
had praefecti in command (abbreviated to praef).
Beneficiarius: a soldier seconded for special duties to
a higher-ranking officer. Those most commonly found with this title
are adjutants of the provinical governor (beneficiarii consularis)
but praefecti of auxiliary cohorts and legati legionis
also had them.
Centurio: the officer in command of a centuria of
infantrymen (often symbolised, like centuria, by an abbbreviation
resembling a 7).
Click on the image for a larger version. |
Image
details:
The symbol for centuria or centurio, not
dissimilar to a 7. The dot in the angle of the symbol is particular
to this tablet The visible text reads (centuriae) Felicionis
Image ownership:
© CSAD |
Curator: in the context of an infantry unit, as at Vindolanda,
it may denote responsibility for a specific task rather than a rank.
In a cavalry unit it denotes the soldier in charge of provisioning
a turma.
Decurio: the officer in command of a turma of cavalrymen.
Optio: the second-in-command in a centuria of infantrymen.
Principalis: a military rank in which were grouped a number
of posts, junior and senior staff officers, optiones, standard-bearers
etc.; holders of these posts received either double the basic pay
(duplicarius) or pay-and-a-half (sesquiplicarius)
Duplicarius: an officer receiving double the basic pay;
the term is sometimes used to designate the second-in-command in
a century or turma.
Singularis: a soldier in the guard of the governor (singularis
consularis or singularis legati). A provincial governor's
guard consisted of 500 pedites and 500 equites. The
singulares of Britain's governor are thought to have been
based in the Cripplegate fort in London.
Cornicularius : a senior rank below the rank of centurion,
the cornicularius was the chief clerk, in charge of the tabularium
Tesserarius: one of the senior officers below the rank of
centurion, literally the officer responsible for the daily watch-word,
possibly in charge of those on sentry duty and 'fatigue parties'
Men
Miles: a soldier, usually an infantry soldier
Commilito: 'comrade', usually a fellow soldier
Contubernalis: a soldier in the same conturbernium
of an infantry cohort, used affectionately in the sense of 'mess-mate'.
The term can also mean a partner, concubine or de facto wife/husband.
Eques: a cavalry trooper
Conturmalis: a trooper in the same turma of an
ala
Aquilifer: the senior standard bearer in the legion, in
charge of the legionary eagle and the pay-chest.
Vexillarius: the standard bearer for the cohort.
For further information see the exhibition sections Military
routines and Officers
and men, families and traders in the exhibition.
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