Centuria

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Centuria (Latin: [kɛn̪ˈt̪ʊria]; pl.: centuriae) is a Latin term (from the stem centum meaning one hundred) denoting military units originally consisting of 100 men. It also means, by extension, the barrack-block occupied by such an unit. The size of the centuria changed over time, and from the first century BC through most of the imperial era the standard size of a centuria was 80 soldiers. By the time of the Roman Empire, ordo became a synonym of centuria (in 4 BC it was used for a maniple). Ten contuberniums formed a century, composed of 80 legionaries. Commanding this unit was the centurion, a veteran expert in combat analogous to a non-commissioned officer. His role was not only that of a leader, but also that of an instructor and responsible for discipline within his unit. The centurion was assisted by the optio, his second-in-command and other officers such as the tesserarius, in charge of security, the signifer, who carried the banner, and the cornicen, who transmitted orders by...

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