# ancient roman army hierarchy?



## writeshiek33 (Nov 29, 2015)

ok i keep getting confused with the ancient roman army hierarchy working on a fantasy comic book  story placed in ancient roman army protagonist. this going to to be a one shot and working story as prose as first then breaking it down visually as a comic script  anyhow any body can help find out the ranks and groups within the army thanks in advance


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## Ban (Nov 29, 2015)

As far as i know there were two different structures of the roman legion. The pre Gaius Marius structure and the post- Gaius Marius structure.  The post- Marius structure that i have found is from tribunesandtriumphs.com


Roman Army Ranks - Hierarchy
The basic hierarchy of the Roman Army ranks was as follows:

The General / Dux / Imperator / Commander
The Lieutenants or Legates (legati) who frequently commanded separate legions
The Quaestor who was charged with the care of the military chest and the supplies
The Body-guards (cohors praetoria) of the senior officers
The military Tribunes (tribuni militum)
The Captains, or Centurions
Immunes - Soldiers with special skills
Standard bearers
Evocati - Veteran soldiers
Beneficiarii - the orderlies
Conicen - The musicians
Munifex - The Roman Soldiers - the lowest ranks equivalent to privates


and the more specific ranks are these: 

Roman Army Ranks

Adscripticius	Adscripticius - an additional soldier of the Roman Republic who served to fill the places of those who were killed or disabled
Aquilifer	Aquilifer carried the legionary eagle.
Armicustos	Armicustos was a quartermaster - tasked with the administration and supply of weapons
Auxiliaries	Auxiliaries (from Latin: auxilia meaning "supports") formed the standing non-citizen corps
Ballistarius	Ballistarius was an artillery operator.
Beneficiarii	Beneficiarii - orderlies who performed various services for the higher army officers
Cataphractarii	Cataphractarii were heavily armed and armoured cavalrymen deployed in the 2nd Century AD
Centurion	
A Centurion was an important role in the Roman Army Ranks. A centurion had 100 men in his command

Centuriones exercitatores	
Centuriones exercitatores were the training officers for the cavalry

Cohortes equitates	Cohortes equitates were the mixed cohorts of cavalry and infantry
Conicen (cornicines)


A Conicen was the horn-blower in the Roman Army ranks. There was one to every century. 

Cornicularius	
Cornicularius An administrative officer within a legion

Decanus	Decanus was the first rank that a legionary could be promoted to. Similar to a modern-day Sergeant
Discentes signiferorum	
Discentes signiferorum A trainee standard bearer

Draconarius	Draconarius was a Roman cavalry standard bearer
Duplicarius	
Duplicarius was an officer of the Roman legions receiving double the basic pay.

Equites	Equites - Roman citizen horse troops drawn from the Roman equestrian class.
Evocati	Evocati were soldiers who had served their full time but had re-enlisted at the general's request - veteran volunteers

Extraordinarii	
Extraordinarii Soldiers set aside for special backup services. This force usually contained 20% of the infantry and 33% of the cavalry

Hastiliarius	Hastiliarius was a weapons instructor 

Hastati	Hastati (raw troops). The soldiers of the first line consisted of youths and were armed with the hasta, or spear
Imaginifer	Imaginifer: Carried the Standard bearing the three dimensional image of the Emperor
Immunes	
Immunes were soldiers who had special skills and who were "immune" from combat duty and fatigues through having a more specialist role within the army

Lancearii	Lancearii - Spear armed mail clad field troopers
Legate (Legatus or Legatus legionis)	
Legatus or Legatus legionis A legatus (often anglicized as legate) was a general in the Roman army,

Libritors	Libritors were artillerymen who operated siege engines such as the onager
Miles or Miles Gregarius	Miles or Miles Gregarius - The basic private level foot soldier
Munifex	Munifex The lowest rank in a legion. Equivalent to a private
Optio	Optio A legion centurion's second in command
Peditatus	Peditatus - a term referring to any infantryman
Pilus prior	Pilus prior A high ranking officer within a manipuli who also commanded the cohorts
Praetor	Praetor was the commander of an army
Prefectus	Prefectus A general term used for the holders of different ranks in the military
Prefectus castrorum	Prefectus castrorum The third in command in a legion
Prefectus equitatius	Prefectus equitatius An officer commanding a unit of cavalry
Prefectus fabrorum	Prefectus fabrorum An officer who had responsibility for the craftsmen supplying services to the military. Blacksmiths, metal workers etc
Primus Pilus	Primus Pilus: Legion Commander
Principes	Principes (trained troops) composed of experienced men
Quaestionarius	Quaestionarius - an interrogator or torturer.
Sagittarii	Sagittarii - archers, including horse-riding auxiliary archers recruited mainly in the Eastern Empire and Africa
Scorpionarius	Scorpionarius was an artilleryman operating a scorpion artillery weapon
Signifier	The Signifier carried the Century's standard (signum) into battle and was also the treasurer for the Century. Senior Officer in a Century
Socii	Socii - Conscripts
Triarii	Triarii (veterans) Experienced soldiers were armed with the pilum, four and a half feet long, of wood, with a barbed head of iron, so that the whole length of the weapon was six feet nine inches.
Tribune (Tribunus)	Tribune (Latin:Tribunus) One of six assistants to a legion commander, the Primus Pilus. Usually a young senator learning the basics for his career
Tribunus Cohortis	Tribunus Cohortis: Commander of a Cohort military unit.
Tribunus Cohortis Urbanae	Tribunus Cohortis Urbanae: Urban cohort commander.
Tubicines	The trumpeters
Velites	Velites The light soldiers. Unlike the Hastaii, they did not have full armour, although they did have a helmet and a shield. They were also armed with a sword, but had a only a short javelin as opposed to a pilum.
Venator	Venator - a hunter (a type of immunes)
Vexillarius	The bearer of the vexillum standard
Roman Army Ranks


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## Ban (Nov 29, 2015)

copy paste isn't beautiful so here's the link Roman Army Ranks


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## ascanius (Nov 29, 2015)

Question, roman republic before or after the Marius reforms, i'm guessing after right?


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## writeshiek33 (Nov 29, 2015)

i think batnon answered my question but will sort it out and find out


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## skip.knox (Nov 30, 2015)

There were further significant changes around 300AD (Diocletian and Constantine).


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