Evolution of the Roman Centurion DOCUMENTARY

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Our animated historical documentary series on the armies and tactics of Rome continues with an episode describing the evolution of the Centurions of the Roman armies from the Republican era to the Principate and then Dominate. From the salaries to the armor and arms to the requirements, we cover everything about the centurions of the Roman legions
Previous videos in the Evolution of Armies and Tactics series: • Marian Reforms and the...
Support us on Patreon: / kingsandgenerals or Paypal: paypal.me/kingsandgenerals
We are grateful to our patrons and sponsors, who made this video possible: docs.google.com/document/d/1_...
The video was made by our friend Arb Paninken bit.ly/2Ow3oC8 while the script was researched and written by Matt Hollis
This video was narrated by Officially Devin ( / @offydgg & / @gameworldnarratives )
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Production Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicsound.com
#Documentary #Rome #Legion

[@KingsandGenerals]

Hearts of Iron IV is one of the best strategy games out there. Go, try it for free, you will thank us later: bit.ly/39nUQWC Also, buy our hoodies, they are warm and cozy and Roman: bit.ly/2kRVWX8

[@ajithsidhu7183]

Yessss

[@ajithsidhu7183]

Pls do on war tatics

[@ajithsidhu7183]

How it varies base on regions

[@TyrannosaurusRex5027]

@Kings and Generals how about I thank you now?

[@abhisheknanda9956]

Anglo-mysore wars or anglo-maratha war or do all anglo-indians wars or great northern war plz

[@neutronalchemist3241]

"There is an angry mob waiting for him!" "No problem, he's escorted by a centurion".

[@kampfpiper3853]

Vorenus 💪🏻

[@jhnshep]

Lol yea I doubt the centurion could have done much against a mob, though I expect the fear of what happened to the town were they attack would have stayed any want to do so, :-D

[@Cancoillotteman]

@@jhnshep Also don't underestimate the Potemkin effect : the first rioter to attack the centurion would be dead before anyone had time to help him

[@jhnshep]

@@Cancoillotteman no one want's to be the first, 'everybody wants to be gangster until it's time to do gangster shit' lol

[@ousamadearu5960]

@@jhnshep Well about that, if Rome have heard of news that a Centurion has died by an angry mob, that will not end well for the city. Rome has a high chance of wiping out the entire city for suspicions of rebellion, and they tolerate no signs of rebellion against Rome.

[@lesROKnoobz]

Words can't express how much I love this channel. It's a replacement for History channel, but even better than History channel originally was. At least to me. The quality is consistent and there ain't too much WW2 related stuff. I prefer my history to be ancient

[@Mrkabrat]

"Are you sure there's no centurion called Naughtius Maximus?" Roman governor of Judea

[@MichaelDodge27]

It's a joke name sir.

[@arkitsingh7083]

@Raktim Kalita he has a wife you know ,her name is incontinentia ..incontinentia buttocks

[@abhisheknanda9956]

@@arkitsingh7083 oh I forgot the movie name and there is also a crusader version of it.

[@arkitsingh7083]

@@abhisheknanda9956 life of brian, it's on netflix

[@helios4753]

@@arkitsingh7083 omg I'm in stitches. I knew it was coming but I can't help it. Man time to watch that movie again.

[@terrasphere_3858]

"INCREDIBILIS!" A message for Kings and General

[@ruvinluciano4369]

You rang?

[@mehanameeh2009]

Ah, I see you're a man of Culture aswell

[@elgringosupremo]

Matt Chaps *Incontinens

[@WitekStraus]

ETIAM!

[@thebenis3157]

INCREDIBILIS

[@cathar1209]

"Our series on the Roman military will continue, up to 1453" - This always warms my heart :')

[@ArghastOfTheAlliance]

@@thecrusaderhistorian9820 It also means it will eventually end :(

[@araknas3981]

@@ArghastOfTheAlliance Maybe the real Romans were the friends we made along the way.

[@15r52]

@@araknas3981 brug

[@sechifabio]

@@araknas3981 caught me offguard and gave me a good laugh, nice one XD

[@Arborist5851]

I do enjoy that

[@MarcusVipsaniusAgrippaLXIII]

The glory of Rome is better than coffee in the morning.

[@nazmakhan178]

But coffee came from Yemen.

[@bonesbrigad.e___]

I read this as I woke up and nothing is more true

[@roamingvagabond5435]

Ave.

[@baconbliss4796]

@@nazmakhan178 that region had many many trade routes with rome

[@sonoftheking1977]

I have a question did you have to be roman to be a centurion or could somebody from another country, race, ethnicity etc become a centurion?

[@HGRvSBG]

The end bit on what the title 'Centurion' was relegated to almost made me weep -- such an ancient and glorious institution. I hope they are honored by our remembrance of them.

[@Destroyer9300]

Imagine if centurion falls to early in battle, -50% moral decrease...

[@manooxi327]

even worst, the centurion of the eagle cohort getting killed by the first wave of arrows!

[@Ishkur23]

But what if the enemy general runs away? I mean, that's no way a leader should behave, but in battle it's beyond belief.

[@steven_003]

@@Ishkur23 Well, beaten to death by clubs.

[@Skerdy]

No need to imagine... in many battles that went wrong centurions were the one that died... It is actually sort of a justification (in Roman mindset) if a legion breaks... you read passages like: "... the legion broke formation after most of their centurions were killed..." Meaning, that if their centurions were killed, how can you expect the simple legionaire to hold up?! As far as Romans were concerned, centurions were the real deal.

[@Skerdy]

@Thats reality folks Im the Camaraman Thanks, I did know that. I was referring to a battle in Gaul when one of Ceasar's legions was broken. At the end the Romans won, but according to ancient authors the broken legion had lost all of its centurions, which is the reason it broke ranks according to them... That said, if the Centurion is dead, and the Optio is dead (keeping in mind that in formation the Optio stayed back to keep discipline in the centuria)... I would presume that at that point most of the men are also running or dead so... good luck to the Tesserarius...

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

I’m always interested in Roman history. This is always a treat.

[@thewingedserpent5823]

You really are everywhere aren't you?

[@kumisz2]

Check out Historia Civilis, it's almost exclusively roman history and incredibly detailed.

[@culturedman1310]

Me too i hope one day japan would make some roman era anime or something like that

[@jakegraham7265]

Double chocolate chip type of treat?

[@instantinople3796]

Nobody expects Just Some Guy without a Mustache.

[@yochaiwyss3843]

*"PULLO, FORMASHUN!"*

[@ryancoke9301]

PUUUULLLO, SINGLE FORMASHUN!

[@kakabukkake0]

Get BACK in formation you drunken fool...

[@thosdiddly]

Legionary Titus Pullo was a hero of the 13th, but look at him now.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

*Pullo punches Vorenus in his face, knocking that ostentatious helmet off his ginger head*

[@thnktank1]

Thirteeeeen!

[@randomuser6175]

when I hear the word Centurion I immediately think of Lucius Vorenus from Rome :)

[@AngryToasterOven]

Funny enough, when I first watched that show, I kept wondering why on Earth was Vorenus being tasked with all sorts of odd-jobs and even acted in Antony's retinue. Turns out that was pretty accurate as far as Centurion duty was concerned.

[@P00PINMYMOUTH]

@@AngryToasterOven weird though because Vorenus was prima pilus (first spear). You'd think he'd be able to avoid the odd jobs and were a little bit more wealthy.

[@MrMarsh263]

@@P00PINMYMOUTH wasn't he promoted to Prima Pilus though? Cause they show his daughters and wife(rest her sole) gettting new clothes and whatnot. It did seem they were from the pleb class though, I think it was just showing how JC was promoting the "common man"/Centurion cause he was a populist. I don't think (could be wrong, probably am) someone to make it to that position would be from that class, but idk.

[@randomuser6175]

@@AngryToasterOven that show was accurate on so many things except history :) one of the best shows ever tho

[@Geeza-rc9kz]

That show was awesome and I always think the same thing haha

[@ArmchairStrategist]

The legacy of the centurion lives on in every senior NCO cadre in western military formations. Nobody wants to piss off the Master Sergeant.

[@Jabranalibabry]

Even in the east. S

[@jamalwashium5387]

@Ryan Pedro nah

[@iutarogirotto5110]

a master sergeant is more like an optio, Centurions would most likely be colonel in today's standards, the highest-ranking officer field officer

[@andrewjohnson5732]

iutaro girotto more like all the ranks from captain to brigadier

[@ryannguyen7466]

I think they had a mix system vs define system like we have today. The Centurion had dual system of men rising through the rank and earn the commission as well as those filthy rich who pay their way in and still have the high position vs centurion like the Legate. Obviously, the most visible equivalent of the centurion in the military today would be the NCO corps whom the commission officers rely heavily when it come to military affair.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

Another little known responsibility of the centurion was correcting the Latin grammar of Roman subjects. "'Romanes evnt domvs'? People called Romanes they go the house?"

[@SpaceKamakiri]

« Romani ite domum » 100 times!

[@jannestiemes4328]

Me: “What did centurions do?” Kings And Generals: “Yes!”

[@christopherg2347]

So Centurions were: Good fighters Leader in Battle Comissar/Miltiary Police Military instructor Special Forces General Police Officer Administrators Military standard And the real power in the Legions politics

[@ryannguyen7466]

Drill sergeants too

[@twopeeam]

They are basically N.C.O and C.O of every legionair Whose rank are not as high , as general or commander The highest rank they could achive is the rank of captain

[@22vx]

Yesssss more Roman stuff!

[@justpettet3506]

haha never thought I would say that as a kid

[@imswanronson3558]

Yes! There's always room in my brain for more Roman history, and if not I'll just throw out some of that useless high school math we were taught.

[@TheTariqibnziyad]

damn your profile pic is fitting.

[@Kbuildsmodels_24]

Note that the Centurions did not disappear after the fall of the Western roman empire, they continued in the Eastern Roman half and retained similar qualities as their western counterparts, but were called “kentarch” (κένταρχος) “kentarchos”- Greek “Centurion” - Latin

[@demoiselle_chris9466]

Now that's interesting

[@paprskomet]

Kentarch and Centurion is one and the same thing just one is in Latin while other adapted to Greek but it is not something like if they were called differently.Moreover greek version terms for latin ranks were in use in the east all of the time not just after fall of the west and also after fall of the west right up to 7th century latin titles were also still actively in use along with greek versions.

[@AthrihosPithekos]

It is the Latin "cent" theme with a Greek -archos (meaning ruler,commander) ending.

[@sizzla123]

“Valour is superior to numbers."~Flavius Vegetius Renatus

[@danydierickx3228]

The primus pilus must a have been a beast of war

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

2 Rome-themed videos in a week? Is it Saturnalia already?

[@MichaelDodge27]

IO SATURNALIA!!!

[@HaloFTW55]

I JUST SAW YOU AT THE SABATON VIDEO!!!

[@sanele2948]

Centurions were the back bone of the Roman war machine. Brave and courageous men.

[@barbiquearea]

Fun fact: In the early centuries of the Roman Empire, a legion usually had a total of 59 centurions. Each one also had various junior officers working under them known as principales.

[@brokenbridge6316]

So Centurions had to basically wear many different hats as they did what they did for their patrons and overlords. And I'm guessing they were exceptionally good at it in order to last as long as they did. My compliments to those who made this video a reality.

[@RemembertThe20thMain]

Round of applause for that one unknown Centurion veteran of every war in romes history

[@emperorofhistory8724]

Excellent, as always. So glad to hear your pursuing discussing the Roman Army all the way through the final fall in 1453, such pleases me greatly.

[@jascrandom9855]

Maximilus Trax sounds like a Warhammer 40k character.

[@huubstevens1821]

Dropping everything for this video, your channel never disappoints

[@22vx]

ikr

[@nomadichorseman]

Wow! I had no idea the amount of work and effort that went into the centurion role.

[@Killzoneguy117]

Kinda explains now why Vorenus was such an absolute beast.

[@MichaelDodge27]

I was literally just thinking this week about how it would be great to learn more about Roman Military organization and here it is!!

[@HGRvSBG]

Might I suggest the channel "Historia Civilis" -- you'll learn everything about everything. This channel is great, too, but not as intricate as Historia Civilis.

[@Insectoid_]

This channel is absolutely amazing. Tempted to join the patreon.

[@xusteve4820]

Hah, Vitis, something legionaries feared more than any Germanic swords or Parthian arrows.

[@cinnamon3578]

What's Vitis?

[@Tonyx.yt.]

@@cinnamon3578 a stick made with grapewood used by centurions to physical punish soldiers, the only way a roman citizen's body can be legaly harmed back then

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

Vitis = "Respec muh authorita"

[@freddymylove-dk]

I can hear the centurion from For Honor screaming "incredibilis!!" at the realease of this video.

[@charris5700]

Awesome presentation of the Roman Centurion 💢 What a bummer that the Eastern Empire got rid of the prestigious Centurion.

[@TheSimsFan1996]

Always a pleasure to see a new video from you guys! Especially anything on Roma 😊

[@jsudlow12]

Such a good documentary, I’m thoroughly addicted to this channel

[@sergetardif9596]

Maxime respicit! Your channel has the most researched military historical topics. Primus inter pares! Always a delight to follow your videos.

[@maurogigliotti1911]

Your videos shake my spirit. Cannot thank you guys more.

[@lukezuzga6460]

As always, very informative and entertaining video! Looking forward to the Roman continuation.

[@KirstenBayes]

Doesn't get any better than this. Good work!

[@KING_PINA_VI]

You guys never disappoint, great video. And keep them coming, also love your shirts!

[@captare]

Great video. I was waiting for the video to talk about that set of disc, which the "centurions" used on "Lorica hamata". For me it is one of their most iconic symbols.

[@TheCrusader1099]

I am normally a quiet subscriber of yours ,but this time I have to say something: this was amazing! more of this! very detailed and nicely Illustrated !Thanks a lot:)

[@thomashendriks6798]

I learned so much from this! Keep up the good work guys.

[@Dustz92]

Sad that you ended just before the most famous centurion of them all: Phocas, who managed to become emperor in 602

[@lordcommanderdire5113]

At work, went on break just to watch this. Love your vids on Rome always a treat

[@abdulkadiraltunbay4299]

I am very gratefull for all of this work please keep it up!!

[@blackhawkdown4376]

Loved this episode. So great i wil watch it again

[@michaelbellinger1363]

Wonderful video. I had no idea they were assassins. It is true about the helmets. It also depended which legion they were apart of if the wire a plume or not, or if it ran differently than other Legionaries. Thanks Kings and Generals!

[@DrAlexTravels]

Broke my Vine-stick watching Kings and Generals, will someone please "Fetch me another"

[@elhanankarmeli7074]

Petra is beautiful! Love your profile picture

[@DrAlexTravels]

Eli Strauss Thank you, it’s an amazing place.

[@danielbylund8937]

Get yourself a wine-stick instead

[@benitorodriguez4344]

Great content gentlemen, keep up the good work! Bravo victor!👊🏼🇺🇸

[@rafaeldiromano2085]

Great video, as always!

[@sethheaton9812]

Love your content. Thanks!

[@cinnamon3578]

More Roman history please. I love you K&G

[@amandafranks5108]

Greatest officer corps of Antiquity!

[@alpharius8264]

Infact one of the few military forces in the antiquity which polsessed somethink like an officer corps

[@gilgalad7698]

In his last battle Spartacus killed few centurions when he tryed to reach Crassus. He was a badass.

[@RaiderLeo69]

Awesome as always!

[@stevensmith8008]

Great video, as always...

[@interestinglife934]

What an interesting topic and such fitting beautiful music.

[@dingus8531]

Love your videos!

[@mohammadsaida4603]

Too nice history video with clearly explaining thanks 👍🙏

[@Centurion_XIV]

I like those kind of videos 😏 Keep up the good work !

[@GarfieldRex]

Awesome!! Love these videos 👌😎

[@adamorlowski4886]

Another great video!

[@samuelguerra3813]

As Always, awesome video! Would you be interested in making a video about the training regiments and battle tactics implemented by Aztec eagle warriors?

[@sebastiantapia804]

great content, thank you

[@replecon1408]

Very well done!

[@edsalisch4322]

I really liked this video, I just wished you had gone over the medallions on the armor of the Centurion.

[@bestsport9044]

Top quality... as usual :)

[@Beef_3E]

Love that Paradox is sponsoring Kings and Generals. Love PDX games! HOI4, CK2, IR and EU4 especially!

[@javihunter9780]

u know i LOVE ur Channel

[@CitadelDefense1]

NCOs, making a difference since the beginning.

[@dojotacosupreme4900]

NEXT TIME ON KINGS AND GENERALS: "HOW THE PEN BECAME MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD"

[@10Tabris01]

The assassination of Aurelian?

[@dylanjwagner]

As an aside, a century (centuria) was composed of 10 8-man contubernia, making it 80-man strong. Not 100, as you said at ~15:00.

[@TitusVarus]

I doubt you'll get much response to your correction, though you are in fact perfectly correct. In previous videos on legionary organisation they repeat the modern conjecture of contubernia being 8 fighting men and 2 servants, centuries being 80 fighting men and 20 non-combatants, taking it all the way to legions being composed of 4,800 legionaries and 1,200 servants. I've pointed this out a couple of times and requested sources, but have had no reply. It began to irritate me to the point that I contacted a very eminent historian of the Roman military, and he confirmed that it was bullshit conjecture that didn't even make any sense when subjected to more thorough analysis. I think they may be getting this idea from 'The Great Courses Plus' as other KZbinrs using TGCP as their primary source have also repeated this. I love Kings and Generals, but their repeated use of this "fact" is really starting to turn me off their videos.

[@TitusVarus]

​@Rick K I actually managed to track down the source. They're getting the numbers from Jonathan P. Roth's The Logistics of the Roman Army at War. The problem is that Roth himself makes a point (on more than one occasion) of saying that his figures are merely estimates, and should not be taken as representative of the Roman army as a whole. He also asserts that though present, these military servants (or calones) were not officially part of any military unit within the legion. Essentially the historian (Roth) estimated that in every legion there'd be a 4:1 ratio of combatants/non-combatants, and then divided that all the way down to contubernium level, giving a rough estimate of 2 servants per 8 legionaries, 20 per century and so forth. Someone read this and got the idea that there were dedicated calones attached to each century, thus part of the unit. From the evidence we have (and there isn't much), this was not the case. The calones made up one segment of a legion's camp followers, and probably carried some of the heavier gear and did some more menial work around the camp. They were not on the army rolls, and their levels of training and ability varied enormously.

[@maxhutto3056]

I love how any video that references Rome has its chat turn into an intellectual debate.

[@TitusVarus]

@@maxhutto3056 I rarely comment to be honest. I only did in this case because Kings and Generals put out great content, and I didn't like the idea of modern conjecture being repeated as fact. Mostly I like to sit and have K & G marathons. I think I've watched their Mongol series three or four times already.

[@maxhutto3056]

I just enjoy the fact that Rome brings civilization to savages even on the Internet.

[@KHK001]

Great! more Roman Videos!

[@SquirrelGrrl]

Fascinating!

[@Miamcoline]

Well done covering an important question mark of history again. A little more detail please if you can!

[@Daruliable]

Great video, centurion forever

[@denniscleary7580]

You had me at Roman Kings 👍

[@jellyorwhat3343]

Damn, I had no idea how bad ass centurions have been!

[@Bean_Ernesto44]

After his rework, everything changed

[@swordsmen8856]

could you guys do a video about enlisted roman soldiers and boot camp in the early imperial rome?

[@paprskomet]

...and why not also about later imperial Rome?They never stopped having it(contrary to popular prejudice).

[@swordsmen8856]

@@paprskomet because Rome had a long history and I wanted to give them a specific ballpark.

[@ziib123]

Centurion Foley: Ramirez! Man that scorpion on top of the Garum Town!

[@hammadikhlaq7570]

Restlessly waiting for your next video on Ottoman Empire Series. Please upload it soon.

[@fabioferrarese5600]

3:28 and again, some things never change in italy

[@rakeshtom1405]

More on this please

[@danielconde13]

Centurion Macro approves this.

[@secrectpirate3096]

This is the kings and generals channel and we will catch you in the next one...

[@alpharius8264]

Can you do a video about the equestri singulari ajgusti the cavalery wing of the preatorian guard especially what they relationship with the other Preatorians was you mentilnd that the preatorions lookd down on common legionairs for they provincial origins so I imagine it was even worse with the eqiuuestri who were recruited from people of non roman origin

[@frenchsterr4708]

Excellent

[@darkdragoon2002]

You should do a video on roles like the aquilifer and signifer

[@garyang7166]

what a treat

[@robinkthomas3863]

Great Video as always. This is one of the best documentary on a Roman centurion. Does anybody know the music from 17:28 ??

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you

[@Raz.C]

A centurion commanded (on average) about 100 men. Modern militaries refer to this number of men as a company/ battery and are commanded by- for the most part- a captain. That would make a captain the rough equivalent of a Roman centurion, at least in terms of the number of soldiers he was responsible for. That's a somewhat useful comparison, since as a child, I used to think of a centurion as the equivalent of a corporal and a tribune as the equivalent of a sergeant (at the time, I didn't know ALL the things wrong with that comparison...)

[@gaslitworldf.melissab2897]

Brilliant.

[@imswanronson3558]

Dude this is the first time I'm buying KZbin merch, that Roman hoodie in maroon looks fucking delicioiso

[@ryanrobot2003]

Good job

[@erfan3578]

THANK YOU KINGS AND GENERALS for not making a video about organization of Persian armies don't tell me they were not organized well because you cant have a empire for nearly one thousand years without a good army and they are not many videos about that

[@tarasis2722]

I once came a across an truly exemplary human being who said that centurions wouldn't have worn crests in battle, as people could just grab it and pull their helmets off with it. Upon me asking what exactly they would grab it with; their spear or shield, or which of the two would be put down so the crest could be grabbed, i got no answer. The person in question was my high-school history teacher, who is quoted to have said other such things like, "yes, Spartans fought naked, but they may not have been that ripped."

[@jorenvanderark3567]

How the fuck does someone that dumb become a history teacher? The spartans only fought naked during wrestling matches, not during battles.