centurio

Centurio is the Latin term meaning centurion, a professional officer in the Roman army who commanded a century, a unit typically comprising around 80 legionaries. The name derives from centum, hundred, via centuria, a group of one hundred. In the Republican and Imperial periods, centuries formed the basic tactical unit of a legion; a legion contained ten cohorts, each cohort subdivided into centuries. The command was held by a centurion, with the most senior centurion of the first cohort earning the title primus pilus.

Centurions reported to higher officers such as tribunes and legates and were responsible for the training, discipline, and day-to-day leadership of their men. On campaign, they led their centuries in combat and performed administrative duties behind the lines. Centurions were typically drawn from experienced legionaries and could advance to higher offices through a military career, though social status remained below that of senators and knights. Distinct insignia and honors, such as the vine staff (vitis) carried as a symbol of office, identified centurions on the field and in armor.

In classical Latin literature, centurio is used as a professional title and as a general reference to Roman officers who commanded soldiers under the legatus and tribunes. The term persists in modern historical writing and fiction as a reference to Roman military leadership.