Evolution of the Roman Centurion DOCUMENTARY

[Music] the vast military of Rome was perhaps the greatest war machine in the ancient world there were Roman armies general or Emperor was almost always the most visible figure when victory in battle against the enemy was achieved the well-oiled gears of Rome's legions were instead the revered illustrious and notorious Centurions in this video in our armies and tactics series we will examine this most iconic figure in the history of Rome who the century oh were what equipment they used and how they operated to craft the legions into Antiquities most rigorously disciplined military force shoutout to heart sabayon for and Paradox Interactive for sponsoring this video parts of iron 4 is one of our favorite strategy games and you can try it for free for a limited time ending on the 1st of March so download the game by clicking the link in the description this game offers a total strategic war on land air and sea in a world war 2 setting assume control of any historical nation in a single campaign or in both competitive and cooperative cross-platform multiplayer for up to 32 players we've played quite a few hearts of iron for multiplayer campaigns and let us assure you they are intense you will experience the full history of world war 2 using the deep political military and diplomatic systems the new DLC called la resistance adds even more content with secret agents espionage missions and new options for resisting or fomenting dissent support our channel and play hearts of iron for for free by clicking the link in the description in the Republican period the only qualifications necessary for a would-be centurion were martial bravery strength and leadership in battle though these were still core values Centurions of the Principate increasingly had to come with other qualities that would make them a more well-rounded officer a Centurion had to be in almost respects an exemplary soldier possessing a formidable stature skill with weaponry and strength with which to lead from the front inspiring the man under his command moreover the man was expected to be temperate and measured vigilant and ready to execute any order without questions to his truth the Centurion needed to be a notoriously strict disciplinarian when necessary exercising and drilling his interior regularly ensuring that their uniforms and weaponry were in top shape for parade and the battleground in the early Imperial period it was becoming more and more crucial for the Centurions to take home some administrative functions and therefore literacy became a desirable skill this increasing requirement meant that often Centurions were recruited more and more from the upper tier of society making a class that combined military virtues and administrative know-how with these qualities a man became a Roman centurion through two streams promotion or recommendation the former was a relatively simple process through which a 30-plus year old legionary with a long and spotless service record was promoted to the position outright more fortunate well-connected Romans could take the other road direction to the prestigious Centurion it from civilian life through the intervention of an influential patron the youngest known beneficiary of such a display of patronage was an eighteen-year-old equestrian candidate for wealthy family how happy said Centurions underlings must have been about serving unto him can only be imagined however the facts that Centurions were all at least formally appointed by the Emperor may have shut down the discontent the aspiring soldier was only officially invested with his Centurion rank during a ceremony that took place on an auspicious military holiday a platform would be constructed in the Principia of allegience fortress or camp in the presence of the finely clad soldiers the soon-to-be Centurion was presented with a document containing an imperial edict of appointment and with his disciplinary vine staff after their elevation Centurions would gradually rise in seniority within their cohort commanding centuries of troops with highest status until they eventually led the most senior santería and therefore the entire cohort the vast majority of Centurions did not advance beyond this point however those who did could be promoted even further to the rank of preemie or deniz exercising command within the legions exalted first cohort and it's double strength centuries and taking up staff officer roles this kind of promotion initially took the form of the hostages posterior rank of the first cohort and then after four more promotions and extremely well-connected lucky and competent soldier might rise to the rank of Prima's pillars through this position a lowborn Centurion might have gained admission through hard military service to positions and privileges normally reserved for members of the ruling classes when joining the Roman legions a recruit would have aspired to this rank a gateway to prosperity for those who had the skills to earn it this was a matter of extremes that depended on the time period in eras of peace and stability many Centurions could serve in the same rank without ever being promoted while in times of instability and anarchy they could even rise to the position of Emperor such as the former Prima's pilis Maximus Thrax why were Centurions so uniquely respected and regarded that they could climb the social ladder in these ways and what duties did the ranking compass the primary role of a Centurion in the legionary structure was in the training of recruits in their Santeria and their subsequent drilling supervision disciplining and allocation of various duties such as foraging or watch the Centurions Duty was an absolute keystone of the Roman military especially in the Imperial period because endless DS could come from diverse and lowly origins such as a family of cow herds or rough provincial farmers there for almost nothing a centurion could inflict was too brutal a disciplinary measure to forge these disparate and often unprepared individuals into professional soldiers capable of protecting the Empire it was this ruthless drill sergeant like duty in addition to relatively common corruption through bribery which led troops to frequently hate and fear their Centurions on the other hand this feeling was almost always balanced out by the tendency of Centurions to lead from the very front often with fanatical bravery and terrible casualties by doing that they earned admiration respect and sometimes even deep devotion and loyalty from their men they also took this lead from the front mentality into the grinding drudgery of regular life on campaign if the troops were assigned to dig trenches or Wells construct camps or fortresses Centurions would directly supervise them and would often engage in the process with their soldiers in addition to functioning as a keen-eyed overseer yet this image of the centurion as an almost untouchable figure who solely dispensed justice needs to be tempered because they were entrusted with such power man of the century net were also punished incredibly harshly if they were to fail in their duties possibly even more so than the average soldier a stark case of this occurred just before the Imperial period began in 38 BC during a battle in Hispania a veteran Primus pilus known as the bilious lost his nerve and fled the field when able the local Roman governor made an example of the centurion by ordering him to be beaten to death with clubs by the men whose lives his cowardice had endangered disciplining troops was not the only matter with which Centurions were burdened the Roman centurion was an elite soldier often employed for crucial commando and other intelligence gathering missions in the field or at home these could include scouting an enemy force infiltrating hostile cities acting as a trusted secret courier for a high Noble or assassinating figures who were too prominent to murder openly in their administrative function Centurions were responsible for maintaining the logistical supply line for the army supervising the collection of food armor weaponry and other material from various contractors such figures of authority also had police and sometimes even judicial role was in keeping the peace important prisoners would be escorted by centuries such as st. Paul who was brought to the Antonia fortress in Jerusalem protected from the violent mobs of the city by a Centurion moreover they commanded troops who were sent to hunt down bandits and brigands in the countryside and oversaw the arrest and execution of petty criminals in such situations legal authority was delegated to the contingents Centurion who would come to a verdict a couple of legal cases recorded on documents in Egypt also suggests that Centurions exercised informal but Swift and effective de facto authority on such my new share as assaults fair tax collection and even remedying and punishing criminal activities of other administrators these duties of bringing the guilty to justice carrying out searches and providing protection for litigants who might otherwise face danger from high-status accused individuals gave the local Centurion a military Authority which could counter Marge provincial government if required in times of Civil War retaining the loyalty of legionary formations was really a matter of securing the loyalty of vast particular legions many Centurions especially the preemie ordinance of the first cohort it would often be the influence of these mid-level officers which might tip the balance as to which candidate the Legion would grant its swords the Emperor's of Rome and their advisors were fully aware of the influence Centurions possessed and the good ones were always keen to keep them happy augustus his friend the brilliant general Agrippa advised him to reserve legal cases involving the possibility of a Centurion receiving severe punishment to his own personal judgment such figures it was deemed were too revered and important to be left to local trial when accused of a crime for taking on all of these responsibilities and dangers Centurions were extremely well rewarded materially and otherwise compared to the vast majority of their comrades in the legions and even those in the infamous Praetorian Guard for their pay it has been estimated that baseline Centurions received about fifteen times that of a regular legionary and rather surprisingly five times more than one of the notoriously money obsessed Praetorian guards 'men higher-tier Centurion at officers such as the Primus pillars of a legion earned a staggering 60 times the cash of a regular soldier which regular pay wasn't the only income such men received much like their enlisted brethren but to a far more extreme degree Centurions came to expect periodic financial bonuses called doughnuts on special occasions such as the celebration of a great victory or the accession of a new Emperor it was necessary to give Centurions vast amounts of money on these occasions because their loyalty was so valuable and a generous gift would go a long way towards sharing the Centurion where his allegiance was best placed in a time of struggle in their armored weaponry and clothing Centurions were like the Peacocks of Roman military power they naturally wanted to be well protected like all soldiers do but in addition they sought to be a visible symbol of bravery and stal witnessing combat to their troops to do that and to perform their leadership role they had to be recognizable in the fog of battle a scared legionary in the violent baptism of fire of his first ever pitched battle might look to his left see his quasi god-like centurion fighting in the first rank with all his decorative regalia and receive a new burst of morale if he is still here the most experienced man I know the situation must be fine such a soldier must have thought first and most prominent in this recognition was a Centurions helmet which was generally still the standard Galia but with a silvered insignia and a transverse crest or plume going from left to right this contrasted the crest sometimes donned by legionaries which went back to front instead though this might have been the standard load out for a Centurions helmet it did vary based on the man and the location some Centurions detailed on Trajan's column wore the Imperial Gallic or italic style helmets without any crest and in the eastern provinces it was frequently more common to wear hellenic style helmets such as the attic design on their legs Centurions were almost always clad in metal Greaves with knee protectors which were emblazoned with details such as in an example we know of Greek typology and symbolism a military cloak probably colored medium blue also made the Centurion stick out like a sore thumb on the battlefield and also in civilian life later in the empire these cloaks were lavishly decorated with fine embroidery symbols and gilded fringes to show wealth or status lastly we cannot go through a video on the Roman centurion without at least mentioning the item which was essentially synonymous with them the fetus a staff or cudgel of Vinewood the immortal mark of a Centurions power and authority which remained while many things around the Empire changed when speaking of Centurions we naturally gravitate towards the most notable eras of Roman history in our popular culture Caesars years up until around the death of Commodus the Pax Romana and its immediate predecessor Age the late Republic yet we shouldn't let this trend keep us away from discussing how the role of the Centurion evolved as many other things did so drastically in the late Roman Empire it is this time of progression change and calamity that we shall discuss now the reforms of Diocletian and Constantine discussed in another one of our videos transformed the Roman military and consequently the position of a Centurion it survived but was incorporated as just one part of the new complex army structure of the late Empire old-style Roman legions of the Republic and príncipe did survive and retained their traditional hierarchies until the 7th century the hundred-man century a and their Centurion along with them but they were no longer the core military force of the Roman Empire new styles of unit were created to respond to the myriad of issues facing the late empire such as committed tenses scholar auxilia palutena and others therefore the formal role of a Centurion and their importance slowly began to fade we can still see the lasting influence and prestige of the position even after Constantine's time when that great emperor split the Roman realm between his sons he also assigned a personal retinue of infantry to each of them in these units and the newly raised Imperial skull a peloton a guard the commander of two hundred men was the Dukan arias while the leader of one hundred was now known as the centenary Asst this seems to have been the case in units as different as the skull a Comitatus contingents of the regional dukey's and in elite cavalry forces like the Empire's cataphract re heavy cavalry and elite Sagittarius horse archers living in the late 4th century hieronymus leaves us records of the rank hierarchy of a cavalry contingent which goes as follows from bottom to top Baracus sent in areas Dukan arias senator and Tribune Asst it is clear therefore that by the turn of the 5th century the previously August and high-status Centurion was just the title of a regular officer who just happens to command 100 men the pragmatist quasi divine rulers of Rome in the late period seem to have seen no place for men with a ceremonial authority which outdated even that of the Emperor's while the title survived in the east following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire all of the meaning and symbolism of the old Centurion had been stripped away with only the memory of old glories spurring the use of their name our series on the Roman armies will continue all the way to 1453 so make sure you are subscribed to our channel and have pressed the bell button we would like to express our gratitude to our patreon supporters aunts channel members who make the creation of our videos possible now you can also support us by buying our merchandise by the link in the description this is the kings and Generals channel and we will catch you on the next one

Channel: Kings and Generals

Views: 522,619

Keywords: Diocletian, reforms, military reforms, roman army, documentary, Gallienus, ancient rome, roman empire, full documentary, kings and generals, ancient history, history lesson, roman legion, history documentary, military history, historia civilis, history channel, animated historical documentary, documentary film, decisive battles, late roman empire, Centurion, roman history, roman soldier, roman documentary, roman warfare, world history, animated documentary, king and generals

Id: WJa5gm7Pkuw

Length: 18min 10sec (1090 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 28 2020