List of Roman legions. This is a list of Roman legions, including key facts about each legion, primarily focusing on Principate (early Empire, 27 BC - 284 AD) legions, for which there exists substantial literary, epigraphic and archaeological evidence.
Until the 1st century BC, legions were temporary citizen levies, raised for specific campaigns and disbanded after them. By the early 1st century BC, legions were mixed volunteer/conscript units. Legions became standing units, which could remain intact long after a particular campaign was finished. Large numbers of new legions were raised by rival warlords for the civil wars of the period 49-31 BC. However, when Augustus became sole ruler in 31 BC, he disbanded about half of the over 50 legions then in existence.
During the Dominate (late Empire, 284–476), legions were also professional, but are little understood due to scarcity of evidence compared to the Principate. Late Republican legions[edit] Early Empire legions[edit] Imperator. For the ship of this name, see SS Imperator.
The Latin word imperator was originally a title roughly equivalent to commander under the Roman Republic. Later it became a part of the titulature of the Roman Emperors as part of their cognomen. The English word emperor derives from imperator via Old French Empereur. The Roman emperors themselves generally based their authority on multiple titles and positions, rather than preferring any single title. Nevertheless, imperator was used relatively consistently as an element of a Roman ruler's title throughout the principate (derived from princeps, from which prince in English is derived) and the dominate.
In Latin, the feminine form of imperator is imperatrix, denoting a ruling female. Imperatores in the ancient Roman Kingdom[edit] When Rome was ruled by kings,[1] to be able to rule, the king had to be invested with the full regal authority and power. Imperatores in the Roman Republic[edit] Imperator as an imperial title[edit] Post-Roman use[edit] SPQR. SPQR is an initialism from a Latin phrase, Senātus Populusque Rōmānus ("The Senate and People of Rome", see translation), referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic, and used as an official emblem of the modern-day comune (municipality) of Rome.
It appears on coins, at the end of documents made public by inscription in stone or metal, in dedications of monuments and public works, and was emblazoned on the standards of the Roman legions. The phrase appears many hundreds of times in Roman political, legal and historical literature, including the speeches of Cicero and the Ab urbe condita libri ("Books from the Founding of the City") of Titus Livius (Livy). Translation[edit] Legion XXIV - Legions of Imperial Rome. Updated August 12, 2004 10 Contubernium (8 man squad-units) = 1 Centuria (+ 80 men) 2 Centuria = 1 Maniple ("Handful") Unit (+ 170 men) 3 Manipulus or 6 Centuria = 1 Cohors (+ 510 men) 10 Cohors = 1 Legio (+ 5200 men) LEGIO / LEGIONIS - meaning "conscription or chosen" in latin, was the term applied to the largest Roman Army unit, due to the fact that, during the early "Republican" Period, they were initially composed only of conscripted, "land-owning" Roman Citizens.
The training was hard, with difficult drilling to prepare the soldier "legionaries" in shock tactics and rapid marches. The Consul Gaius Marius, in 105 BC, removed the "land-owning" requirement, allowing any Roman citizen, regardless of wealth, to serve as a legionary soldier. Diagram belows shows make-up of a typical Mid 1st Century AD Imperial "Cohortal" Legion Cohort I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X Cohort I had 5 double-centuries with 5 Centurions (Primi-Ordines). There were several basic levels of rank and pay. 1. Legion XXIV - Imperial Standards. Standards within the Principia Treasury of the Saalburg Fort in Germany At Left - A depiction of a Aquilifer on his knees defending the Legion's Aquila Standard.
Note the Lion's head and pelt over his helmet and body. The Legion's Aquila would be defended to the death. At Right - A model of a aquilifer carrying the Aquila Standard. Both displays are at the Museum in Dover, England. The Century, Cohort and Auxiliary units of a Roman Legion, carried several different styles of Vexilla (banners), Signums and other types of "Standards" to identify themselves. Roman naming conventions. Roman naming practices varied greatly over the centuries from the founding of Rome to the early Middle Ages. However, the practice of the elite during the period between the mid-Republic and the early Empire has come to be seen as the classical Roman naming convention. This is likely to be because this period provides good evidence of naming practices of the best documented class in the best documented Roman period.
By the end of the Republican era, a name for an aristocratic male citizen comprised three parts (tria nomina): praenomen (given name), nomen (or nomen gentile or simply gentilicium), being the name of the gens or clan) and cognomen (name of a family line within the gens). Sometimes a second or third cognomen, called agnomen, was added. The nomen, and later, cognomen were virtually always hereditary. During the Empire, superficially the naming conventions appear to dissolve into anarchy. Early history[edit]