The Centurion: Backbone of the Roman Army DOCUMENTARY

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00:00 Channel intro
00:10 Intro
00:44 Army overview
01:27 Command structure
03:30 Promotion to centurion
05:16 Importance of the position
06:50 Leader of a century
08:10 Discipline
10:20 Rewards
11:37 In combat
13:32 Other roles
14:34 Construction supervisor
15:12 Special operations
15:55 Police officer
16:41 Tax collector
17:24 Diplomat
18:19 Outro
The Roman army was absolutely essential for the Roman empire, not just in a military sense but much more than that; it was often the only representation of Roman authority abroad, of which the centurion was the most common representation. Therefore the job of centurion entailed much more than simply leading a unit of soldiers. Centurions were employed in many other ways. How? Find out in this video!
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[@current9300]

Historical Titus Pullo later appeared in historical records as one of Pompey's centurions. I believe that tells us all about which one ultimately didn't get the promotion :D

[@MarvilatAggies]

At least his name will live on forever. "Pullo! Back into formation!!!!"

[@RexGalilae]

I think I've heard he defected to Pompey at some point

[@pappy374]

@@MarvilatAggies Thirteen! THIRTEEN!!!!!!

[@PalleRasmussen]

He did not switch sides because he did not get the promotion. In fact it rather looks as if he got it. I quote Wiki (it was no harder than that); "Vorenus then disappears from history. However, it is known that in the Civil War of 49 BC, Pullo was assigned to the XXI Victrix Rapax, a new Italian legion commanded by the legate Gaius Antonius. In 48 BC, Antonius was blockaded on an island and forced to surrender; Pullo was apparently responsible for most of his soldiers switching sides to fight for Pompey. Later that year, he is recorded bravely defending Pompey's camp in Greece from Caesar's attack shortly before the Battle of Pharsalus." (Dio Cassius, Roman History 41.40; Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Civili 3.67) As a historian I would note that Dio is late, and his information about things that happened 200 years before he wrote could have been sketchy, so I would try and check what he wrote and perhaps that that with a grain of salt. But I would also note that in the instances where I have checked Dio's information against other sources, he is not too bad.

[@PalleRasmussen]

@@MarvilatAggies what do you mean "forever"? Do you think modern media will last as long as Caesar's Commentaries? That is quite the presumption.

[@ShadowtheDarkReaper]

Recently stumbled across this channel from Invicta's recommendation and immediately found myself hooked! The content your team creates is truly excellent from both the educational and technical perspectives. Thank you for sharing the product of your skillsets and passion for history with the world --

[@Literarydilettante]

Same

[@williameichler5297]

Same here

[@victoriandino]

Same for me

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Thank you A Nes, that is a compliment we are proud of!

[@johnleyja4895]

Yup same here 😎

[@jelkel25]

In the British army for as long as theres been sergeants you've probably heard this, a sergeant to a new recruit-"Don't call me sir, I work for a living". Centurions probably said something very similar.

[@Hurrikeane]

My grandpa was a sergeant in ww2, Korea and Vietnam and if you called him sir. It was like someone lit a fire under his ass. He would SCREAM I WORK FOR A LIVING, DONT CALL ME THAT. 🤣

[@RDW503]

I think that saying is a universal NCO "thing" 😂

[@jelkel25]

@@RDW503 My "favorite" was a sergeant would walk over to someone obviously struggling with something like a route march and gently say in their ear "remember, pain is just weakness leaving the body", with a huge smile on their face. It cracked me up every time.

[@BIATEC88]

My best friend's uncle's girlfriend's brother has a pet hamster that was a centurion in a legion stationed in the middle east in a previous life

[@Bobblenob]

Other than a centurion was probably the equivalent of a major.

[@shaundavenport621]

As a 35yr follower of Roman history, I've only recently found this channel and for people just taking an interest in this subject its absolutely essential viewing! Extremely well done,excellent information clearly delivered. 👏 I'd just like to say to Imperium Romanum thank you,well done and please keep up the great work.😁👍👍👍

[@RexGalilae]

I hope to live another 30 years so I can also have the same bragging rights as you :D A hell of a thing to be a Romanophile for 35 years

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Hello Shaun, I still have to become 35! Thank you for this epic response!

[@KumarAnshs]

@@RexGalilaeso you are 5 years old?

[@oldgysgt]

It sounds like a Centurion functioned very much like a Staff NCO in Modern Armed forces.

[@laisphinto6372]

along with funny headpieces they take great pride in although the centurion crest is way cooler, todays drill instructor would love the vitis but for the sanity of recruits that will only be in their barrack nightmares

[@stokiestewpotter7956]

Now that's what you call history. Excellent production,and informative.

[@believemeimherman4319]

Have you ever considered doing a video on late Roman Foederati? You went over foreign troops in Roman service in the early empire so it would be cool to see the foreign Roman soldiers in the late empire.

[@tyleraragon6200]

I don't normally comment on things, but the quality of content, production, and conciseness is hard to find these days. Here's one for the algorithm. Follow this path forever please.

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Thanks for this kind comment Tyler, we are trying our best!

[@LookHereMars]

This channel is going to be big, the quality is great. Ive added you guys to my recommended viewing playlist to try and funnel more viewers your way. Best of luck and i look forward to seeing where the channel goes. 👍

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Thanks a lot for that mate! We're hoping we'll get to the real big audiences rather sooner than later!

[@generalflix]

At 4:21 I had to laugh because, as much as we today want to be different from antiquity, things like this show that some things have not changed in 2000 years. Letters of recommendation are still so important for any post and if you are rich, or you/your parents know the right people, they are so much easier to come by.

[@perceivedvelocity9914]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[@Luc-uw8ur]

Me too… 😉

[@ronaldbobeck1026]

50 yrs ago my military service during the Vietnam War sounds like like what it was like for me and my buddies. Incompetent senior leadership, Our NCO 's for the most part attempted to keep us alive and cared for.

[@matthiasthulman4058]

@@ronaldbobeck1026 I was going to directly reference Vietnam for some of the worst examples of this. Both the rich getting preferable treatment, and the poor getting the absolute shit end of the stick. IE McNamara's 100,000.

[@rickn8or]

And things are still similar; Chief's run the Navy, Sergeants run the Army, etcl.

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

This reminds me of officers getting put into West Point. It takes influence to get there so some things just haven't changed.

[@SasoriZert]

I'm so happy to see a video from this channel in my notifications when I come home from work 😊

[@kimberlypatton205]

Now I TRULY understand Augustus’ anquish when he said “Give me back my Legions!”

[@georgecristiancripcia4819]

You forgot to mention that beign able to read and write was a crucial requirment for a centurion.

[@keller1334]

How have I not found this channel before. I love everything Rome. Particularly the Legions. Please keep them coming.

[@HoH]

Jullie documentaires zijn enorm mooi in elkaar gezet, zeg!

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Dankjewel, dat is een mooi compliment!

[@SnekNOTSnake]

Delicious! Simply delicious! Really worth to watch compared to literally 98% movies.

[@adamwilliams434]

I'm a Roman Reenactor myself and I surely love doing it. I love it so much. Also I loved this so much Subscribed.

[@brassteeth3355]

So happy to have been recommended this channel. You are doing important work and we are grateful. Greetings from Texas. Rome forever

[@pascoett]

I’ve also spent my time in antique history at my alma mater decades ago. Channels like this offer a lot of knowledge well displayed and structured. Excellent!

[@Linnet09]

This just popped up in my suggested videos. I am very impressed. The video is very well done. It' snot only well organized, it provided me with a much better picture of the role of a centurion than I had had before.

[@jarlbregadan914]

18:47 "Now! Today we are gonna do marching up and down the square! That is unless any of you have anything... BETTER TO DO!" Now, jokes aside, keep the great work, this is amazing lads.

[@livrasyt166]

That was absolutely fantastic! I am so glad Invicta recommended you in one of his latest videos!

[@RexGalilae]

I'm so glad I found this channel! It fills a unique niche not filled before, even in Roman history. Makes me especially happy to see our Germanic friends pay due homage to Rome through such wonderful documentaries :D

[@Jayce_Alexander]

I was a visiting professor of History at a university in the Netherlands for a year, and I think you'll be delighted to hear Roman history is a perennial favourite field of focus among historically-minded barbarians. The auxilia live on in academia! 😉

[@TimDutch]

@@Jayce_Alexander haha :)

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I am so happy I found you via Invicta - this is amazing content and your equipment ist breathtaking - greetings from the 15th century.

[@davidhughes8357]

Superb content and historically accurate presentation. Your attention to detail is amazing. Thank you my friends. More please.

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Thank you!

[@the.pandamonium]

This channel will have millions of subscribers next year.

[@user-cp1ku6kr6z]

Nope(

[@h8haz]

Can’t wait to watch later when I get home from school

[@etiennesharp]

Superb content! Oh, and you don't need the subtitles incidentally, the presenter/narrator's English is fantastic.

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Thanks, and noted!

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[@lessonslearned6760]

Great video and these reenactors look great too!! “Consilium” is also the Latin word for “plan” so it’s interesting to see that the word to describe a group of men who were responsible for creating a plan in battle became synonymous with the word “plan” its self .

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Very interesting observation indeed. Thanks for that :)

[@lessonslearned6760]

@@ImperiumRomanumYT thank you and please keep making these awesome videos!!

[@forksandspoons7272]

I'm so very excited to have found your channel. The allies video was the first to come up in my feed and it didn't take long to hit subscribe and notify. I then watched the rest of your videos and I'm eagerly waiting for the next one. Excellent work my friend!! I did particularly like the allies video. It's far removed from the major events everyone knows and really helps the viewer gain a better understanding of daily life, politics, policy, regional concerns etc. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

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[@Broouud]

Please push the algorithm for these guys, they deserve it!!!!

[@eddingtonmcclane6963]

‘Best-ever Imperium Romanum episode. My historical fiction work-in-progress focuses on a street rat from the slums of Rome who rises to become a Centurion in the provinces. This episode is research GOLD. Brilliant!

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Thanks! We hope you will like our future episodes as well!

[@profaneangel0842]

With respect, that "street rat" is much more likely to have dreamed of a cushy appointment in the Praetorian Guard or in the Vigiles, not a posting to some dangerous, God-forsaken, far off frontier Btw , check out the extraordinary life of the centurion Servius Sulpicius Similis. There's a novel just crying out to be written 👍💪

[@hellomybaby-hellodarknessm6895]

This channel is so amazing

[@Aspectt1991]

I found this channel like 2 weeks ago and i think its amazing, i was here before it blows up! Cool video once again, good job guys!

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Welcome aboard!

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[@yourlocalgamercodm5445]

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[@eduardtarniceriu102]

I love Roman history . This is well done. Keep up the good work and thank you

[@GrayNeko]

Excellent video! I've been enjoying your collaborations with Invicta and have been well impressed. Looking forward to exploring your channel more thoroughly. Keep up the great work! ^_^

[@ayeyebrazorf7527]

Channels deserving Netflix budgets!

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Give them a call for us will you :P

[@jakeg3733]

It's miraculous in a way that the Legions were so successful. I can understand the potential benefits of having a civilian in command of a Legion, but mostly I see drawbacks. Yet the Romans, with their incredible pragmatism and attention to detail, created a set of tactics, techniques, and equipment that was so resistant to stupidity or inexperience that someone had to be truly incompetent or arrogant to lose a legion. Crassus for example. But the idea that a civilian could, with little to no training, command one of these things and possibly win a battle is incredible to me. Julian comes to mind here. Turns out he had a natural aptitude for it but regardless the guy pretty much just read a couple of books then started slaying Germanic raiders, eventually becoming Emperor

[@Jauhl1]

"Civilians" aren't really fair, serving as military tribune was standard in the Roman higher political career. Nothing was more valued for political advancement then military glory so naturally politicians prepared well . Politicians role was to lead, inspire, and cajole and manage people, you couldn't lead in Rome without engaging violence so the Romans assumed that a guy who were skilled at getting stuff done in the senate would to the same with soldiers on the battle field. It was often quite correct. And if there were deficiency there were always the professional core of the legion to back him up.

[@stsk1061]

This video is quite wrong. Roman senators were the people most qualified to lead a legion. That's because a centurion never commanded more than a century. By comparison, an army commander (imperator) had to go through the positions of military tribune, quaestor and legate first. You could only be elected praetor at age 38, meaning that at that point, the candidate already had 20 years of military experience. Moreover, the system was meritocratic, because if you didn't perform well in battle, you were simply not being elected. Lastly, the distinction between a civilian and a soldier is a modern one. In the past, military command was one of the most important duties of a leader, whether he was a king or a consul.

[@devanshrathore1959]

STUMBLED UPON THIS CHANNEL THROUGH INVICTA BUT FROM THE FIRST SECOND IN LOVE WITH THE CONTENT AND QUALITY OF THIS CHANNEL. KEEP IT UP AND THANKS FOR GIVING US THIS GOOD CHUNK OF KNOWLEDGE.

[@choirboyzcutleryoutdoors]

Absolutely awesome channel guys!! Here from Invicta!

[@sander7089]

I love the combination of animations, video and information in this video. Keep those movies coming!

[@Mikhelinx]

The Roman army was one of the greatest and most influence civilization in the world and lasted for over 1,000 years.

[@TheRustyLM]

Thank you Invictas! Another favorite channel here👍

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I live for this now, thank you Invicta for sharing this amazing channel with us 😩🤚

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Α channel of extraordinary quality. Good job guys.

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I loved this one! Very informative and well put together

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awesome video. Gratitude for doing this video.

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I hope this channel succeed for more documentaries like this one

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One of the before I was born jobs I would love to have. Great video quality! Keep up the good work!

[@baggelis_aikaterinis]

Pullo formation!!

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EXCELLENT! Imperium Romanum. A wonderful presentation. As old Soldier, Army Flight Lieutenant, I can salute you! *ROMA VICTOR!*

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If I had the internet as a kid this channel would have been on constantly. I was fascinated by the Romans and still am.

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Your collaboration with Invicta brought me here. Keep up the good work and looking forward to more content and collaborations 👏❤🔥

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I'm convinced it is inevitable that this channel will absolutely blow up in the close future

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[@ManiusCuriusDenatus]

8:35 Love the Rome: Total War vanilla music. Well done, gentlemen.

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Wonderfully detailed video, and amazing quality too! Subbed.

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Invicta sent me! 😃 Great channel and unbelievable attention to detail. Just amazing!

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A finely crafted video, as expected :) Glad to see you guys are picking up speed here!

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Wyckid Badass 🤘🏻 Profile Pic... I have that same flag hanging on my wall right now... 💯👑

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Thanks Eric!

[@shanebraaten9553]

The Level 🎚️ of Detail to Historical Accuracy, and the Passion poured into the Production,is a Quality All it's Own.. Well Done 👍 Guys ... You've Earned a Subscriber.. 💪💯👑⚔️🛡️📜.... 🤘🏻

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

Thanks Shane, we appreciate comments like these a lot!

[@stevenahlberg1542]

Really nice job. I respect this Centurian a lot more now it's pretty much are modern-day Sergeant as I see it

[@gruntsffs1]

Thorough!!! With such quality presentation, easily got you a new subscriber!!

[@benitorodriguez4344]

Great content, I find myself tuning out from many things these days. Being a solider and law enforcement for many years I see a lot of similarities.

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Fascinating. Just subscribed!

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Another amazing vid keep up the good work heeren!

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

Another very well done ep boys cheers

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A great video! These documentaries have me hooked! I would love to see a similar video on the roles of Optio :) Greetings from Finland

[@steveconkey7362]

This was very well presented. I enjoy this level of detail about Rome's military.

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Awesome channel. We will watch your growth with great interest.

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Fantastic video . Great job.

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Great Video guys hopefully one day the Algorithm will be nice to y'all and get more views keep it up!

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Y'all do amazing work!

[@Shirocco7]

Great vid, thanks. Having re-enactors with such great looking kit was a big plus.

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Salve! This channel is a true gem, is going to be a pleasure to watch it grow, I will recommend it to my fellow history enthusiasts.

[@HolyReality891]

Invicta pointed me here. Liked. Subscribed and following. Wonderful stuff!

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Another great movie about an interesting subject! Keep them coming!!

[@krisguntner4805]

Glad invictus lead me here. Exactly my kind of history recreation channel.

[@Vixen_AI]

amazing summary of the roman Centurion. I love roman history and you guys (through both explanation and demonstration) do am amazing job of bringing it to life. Well done. 10 out of 10

[@ImperiumRomanumYT]

thanks a lot!

[@morgan97475]

Great video. I've had a keen interest in the Roman Empire (vs kingdom or republic) for many years. This video series may rekindle my interest. Thanks for this.

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Great channel hope it grows allot!!

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Really looking forward to watching more of your videos 🙌 💯