The Roman Army A to Z: decimatio

decimatio (m. pl. decimationes)

Selecting one in ten soldiers for capital punishment. Polyb. 6.38.2–4; Tac., Ann. 3.31; HA, Macr. 12. [Brand 1968]

The Roman Army A to Z: decanus

decanus (m. pl. decani)

Head of a contubernium in the Late Roman period, but under the Principate and Republic no title is associated with the post (although inscriptions do appear to record ‘the contubernium of’, e.g. AE 2009, 955 or CIL XIII, 11954a). Veg., DRM 2.8; AE 1951, 30. [Southern and Dixon 1996]

The Roman Army A to Z: custos armorum

custos armorum (m. pl. custodes armorum)

Literally ‘keeper of the weapons’. An immunis in every centuria and turma who may be presumed to be associated with the armamentarium. Dig. 49.16.14; CIL V, 5196. See also armicustos [Goldsworthy 2003]

The Roman Army A to Z: crista

crista (f. pl. cristae)

A helmet crest (Livy 10.39.12). c. transversa: a transverse crest worn by the centurio (Veg., DRM 2.12). [Bishop and Coulston 2006]

The Roman Army A to Z: cursus honorum

cursus honorum (Mod.)

The career structure of a senatorial officer. [Goldsworthy 2003]

The Roman Army A to Z: curator

curator (m. pl. curatores)

A principalis with a particular responsibility; c. cohortis: a primus pilus charged with looking after a cohors of the vigiles (CIL VI, 32760); c. fisci: with financial responsibilities in the urban and Praetorian cohorts (CIL II, 2610); c. opera armamentarii: with responsibility for the camp armamentarium (CIL VIII, 2563); c. pro praefecto cohortis: a subpraefectus in temporary charge of an auxiliary unit (AE 1895, 36); c. tabularii legionis: an evocatus in charge of the legionary tabularium (CIL VIII, 2852); c. turmae: supervised the supply of fodder and horses for a turma (CIL VIII, 2094); c. veteranorum: in charge of veterani (CIL V, 3375; 7005). [Goldsworthy 2003]

The Roman Army A to Z: cuneus

cuneus (m. pl. cunei)

1. Literally ‘a wedge’, a type of formation in that shape used in battle and countered with the forceps (Fest. s.v.; Veg., DRM 3.19; Aul. Gell. 10.9.1). 2. An irregular auxiliary unit, often mounted (ND Or. XXXIX.1–9. RIB 882; 1594). See also caput porcinum and forceps [Cowan 2007]

The Roman Army A to Z: cui praeest

cui praeest (Phr.)

Literally ‘which is commanded by’, used to refer to the named commander of a (normally auxiliary) unit. CIL XVI, 69. [Goldsworthy 2003]

The Roman Army A to Z: corvus

corvus (m. pl. corvi)

Literally ‘crow’, a device used to fasten two ships together during combat at sea, which took the form of a bridge that rotated about a pole, with a spike (like a crow’s beak) beneath the bridge. Curt. 4.2.12; Polyb. 1.22–3. [Goldsworthy 2003]

The Roman Army A to Z: corona

corona (f. pl. coronae)

A crown, part of the dona militaria, awarded for gallantry (Aul. Gell. 5.6.1); c. aurea: the golden crown, another name for the c. triumphalis (Pliny, NH 16.3; CIL II, 2637); c. civica: the civic crown, made of oak leaves, awarded to a soldier who saved the life of a citizen (Aul. Gell. 5.6.11; Pliny, NH 16.3); c. civica aurea: the golden civic crown, another name for the c. aurea (CIL XI, 7264); c. castrensis: the camp crown, usually of gold, awarded to the first soldier to scale an enemy camp’s walls (Aul. Gell. 5.6.17); c. graminea: the grass crown, another name for the c. obsidionalis (Pliny, NH 22.4); c. muralis: the mural crown, usually of gold, awarded to the first soldier to scale an enemy city’s walls (Aul. Gell. 5.6.16; CIL III, 454); c. navalis: the naval crown, usually of gold, awarded to the first man to board an enemy ship in battle (Aul. Gell. 5.6.18; CIL X, 8291); c. obsidionalis: the siege crown, awarded to a relieving general by besieged inhabitants (Aul. Gell. 5.6.8; Pliny, NH 22.4); c. ovalis: the ovation crown, awarded to a general celebrating an ovation (Aul. Gell. 5.6.20); c. triumphalis: the triumphal crown, made of gold, awarded to a general celebrating a triumph (Aul. Gell. 5.6.5; CIL V, 3348); c. vallaris: the rampart crown, another name for the c. castrensis (Pliny, NH 16.3; CIL X, 8291). [Maxfield 1981]