User menu
Main menu

The centurion

60 second histories

This video covers:

A description of a centurion, the Roman officer in charge of eighty legionaries.  It covers his clothing, armour and equipment all with their latin names

Free to view
SALVE, or should I say hello? I am a centurion, Marcus Alexus Caelius. I’m in charge of eighty legionaries and as you can see I am fully dressed for war all except my helm. Let me explain about my equipment. I am wearing a tunic and bracea under what you would call a chain mail vest, we call it lorica hamata. I have the collar fastened here with a nice bronze brooch and a full cingulum. I carry a pugio or dagger to you, and we mustn’t forget my gladius. Because I am a Centurion I have some protection around my shins these are called ocreae and on my chest you can see my medals. In battle I need to be seen by others so my helmet is fitted with a transverse crest, one that goes across the helmet so my legionaries can easily pick me out in the confusion of combat. There is another way of wearing the crest and that’s from front to back, this is worn by the optio who is basically my second in command, but as I am in command of a century I need to be seen!
Eras: 
Roman
Topics: 
Uniforms & Equipment
Weapons
Character: 
Centurion
Key words: 
Salve, centurion, eighty, 80, legionaries, tunic, bracea, chainmail, lorica hamata, cingulum, pugio, gladius, ocreae, medals, helmet, transverse, crest, optio, roman, latin, Rome, Romans, equipment, clothing, KS2, key stage 2, key stage 2 history, primary, KS2 videos, KS2 clips, KS2 history, KS2 videos, KS2 history film, KS2 history clip, Rome, Roman, Romans, Ancient Rome, Ancient Romans, Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, roman history,