THE INVASION OF GAUL (74 page)

• 
Actuarius
: Clerks, both civil and military. In the legions, Actuarii existed from the very top command levels, down to century levels, where excused duty soldiers served in the role.

• 
Amphora
(pl. Amphorae):
A large pottery storage container, generally used for wine or olive oil.

• 
Aquilifer
:
a specialised standard bearer that carried a legion’s eagle standard
.

• 
Burial Club
: A fund looked after by the standard bearer that each legionary pays into to cover costs of funerals and monuments to fallen colleagues.

• 
Caligae
:
the standard Roman military boot. A sandal-style of leather strips laced to above the ankle with a hard sole, driven through with hob-nails.

• 
Capsarius
: Legionary soldiers trained as combat medics, whose job was to patch men up in the field until they could reach a hospital.

• 
C
arnarium
:
a wooden frame covered in hooks for hanging sides of meat
.

• 
Cornu
:
A G-shaped horn-like musical instrument used primarily by the military for relaying signals. A trumpeter was called a cornicen.

• 
Corona
: wreath or crown awarded as military decoration.

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Cursus Honorum
: The ladder of political and military positions a noble Roman is expected to ascend.

• 
Decimation
:
the worst (and fortunately rarest) form of Roman military punishment, saved generally for insurrection or cowardice of a whole unit. The entire unit would be lined up; the officer would walk down the line and mark every tenth man, who would then be beaten to death by his comrades.

• 
Decurion
: 1) The civil council of a Roman town. 2) Lesser cavalry officer, serving under a cavalry prefect, with command of 32 men.

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Equestrian
: The often wealthier, though less noble mercantile class, known as knights.

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Equisio
: A horse attendant or stable master.

• 
Fossa
: Defensive ditches, such as those constructed round a Roman camp or fort
.

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Furca
: T-shaped pole carried by legionaries which held all their standard travelling kit.

• 
Galician
: Breed of horse from the north of the Spanish peninsula, strong, hardy and short, bred from a mix of Roman and native Iberian horses.

• 
Gladius
:
the Roman army’s standard short, stabbing sword, originally based on a Spanish sword design.

• 
Haruspex
(pl. Haruspices): A religious official who confirms the will of the Gods through signs and by inspecting the entrails of animals.

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Honesta Missio
: A soldier’s honourable discharge from the legions, with grants of land and money, after a term of service of varied length but rarely less than 5 years.

• 
Immunes
:
Soldiers
excused from routine legionary duties as they possessed specialised skills which qualified them for other duties.

• 
Latrunculi
: Roman board game involving stones of two colours on a board, resembling the Chinese game of Go.

• 
Ludus
:
1) a game, 2) a Gladiatorial School
.

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Magna Mater
: The Goddess Cybele, patron of nature in its most raw form

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Marius’ Mules
: nickname acquired by the legions after the General Marius made it standard practice for the soldier to carry all of his kit about his person.

• 
Oppidum:
The standard Gaulish hill town of the pre-Roman period. A walled settlement, sometimes quite large.

• 
Optio
: A legionary centurion’s second in command.

• 
Patrician
: The higher noble class of Rome, often Senatorial.

• 
Phalanx
:
Greek/Macedonian infantry tactic in which rows of men form a veritable hedge of long spears, backed with a shield wall.

• 
Phalerae
: (sing. Phalera) set of discs attached to a torso harness used as military decorations.

• 
Pilum
: the army’s standard javelin, with a wooden stock and a long, heavy lead point.

• 
Plebeian
: The general mass and populace of Roman citizens.

• 
Praetorian Cohort
:
personal bodyguard of a General
.

• 
Praetorium
:
The
area in the centre of a temporary camp reserved for the tent of the commander and where the legion’s eagle and the signifers’ standards were grounded.

• 
Primus Pilus
: The chief centurion of a legion. Essentially the second in command of a legion.

• 
Pteruges
:
leather straps that hang from the shoulders and waist of the garment worn under a cuirass
.

• 
Scorpion, Ballista & Onager
: Siege engines. The Scorpion was a large crossbow on a stand, the Ballista a giant missile throwing crossbow, and the Onager a stone hurling catapult.

• 
Signifer
:
A century’s standard bearer, also responsible for dealing with pay, burial club and much of a unit’s bureaucracy.

• 
Subarmalis
: a leather garment worn under armour to prevent chafing and rust, to which the pteruges are attached
.

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Tabularium
: The records office. In Rome the Tabularium is in the Forum, though each fort had its own based in the centre of the camp
.

• 
Tarpeian Rock
: Cliff on the Capitoline Hill of Rome from which traitors were hurled.

• 
Testudo
: Lit- Tortoise. Military formation in which a century of men closes up in a rectangle and creates four walls and a roof for the unit with their shields.

• 
Tolosa
: Roman town in southwest France conquered at the end of the second century b.c., now Toulouse.

• 
T
ribunal
: A platform, carefully constructed in forts, or temporarily made from turf or wood, from which a commander would address or review troops
.

• 
Turma
: A small detachment of a cavalry ala consisting of 32 men led by a decurion
.

• 
Valetudinarium
:
The military hospital in a camp
.

• 
Vexillum
(Pl. Vexilli)
:
The standard or flag of a legion.

• 
Via Decumana
:
The main street running east-west in a Roman town or fort.