The Ancients The Roman Centurion
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Mar 29, 2026 Dr Ben Kane, bestselling author and Roman military expert, explores the reality of centurions. He unpacks their central role and battlefield leadership. He examines kit, the vine stick as punishment, command structure and recruitment paths. He also covers helmets, peacetime duties and how centurions shaped Rome’s military success.
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Clear Offences Carried Summary Punishments
- Formal punishments like fustuarium could be imposed for falling asleep on duty, deserting in battle, stealing, or abandoning arms while working.
- Kane cites an example where a soldier found with a sword while digging was executed on the spot by a senior officer.
Centurion Rank Gave Wide Local Authority
- Centurions were strictly ranked 1–60 within a legion, giving senior centurions significant autonomy over their centuries and limited effective appeal for soldiers.
- Kane argues centurions often acted as judge, jury and executioner within their scope of authority.
Auxiliary Centurions Were Inferior To Legionary Ones
- Auxiliary centurions existed but were socially and officially inferior to legionary centurions; Romans preferred citizen legions for prestige.
- Kane bluntly notes Roman biases made auxiliaries second-class and placed them on riskier frontiers like Hadrian's Wall.