Glossary of military terms - C

Cacula

Military servant.

Caesim ferire

To slash (with a sword).

Calceus

Shoe. boot.

Calciarium

'Shoe money'. bounty demanded by troops for prolonged marching.

Caliga

Leather personnel carrier. military boot.

Caligatus

Person wearing caligae . soldier, NCO or officer below the social rank of eques Romanus .

Calo

Horse groom. military servant.

Campicursio

Military exercise.

Campidoctor

Drill instructor.

Campigenus

'Born at the exercise field'. elite legionary soldier.

Campus

Cavalry training area. exercise field.

Campus Martius

Field of Mars where during the republic troops were assembled prior to military campaigns.

Canabae

Civilian settlement attached to military base.

Candidatus

A - soldier awaiting promotion.
B - late Roman guardsman.

Cannensis

The nickname of the soldiers who had survived the defeat at Cannae and were kept in service until Carthage was defeated in the Second Punic War.

Capite censi

'Head count'. citizens that could not meet the property demands required for military service.

Capsa

Container with bandages and medical implements carried by medics.

Capsarius

Medic.

Caput contubernii

Head of tentparty.

Caput porcinum

'Boar's head'. attack column or wedge formation.

Carcer

Prison cell.

Carcerarius

Prison guard.

Carroballista

Torsion artillery.

Cassis

Helmet.

Castellum

Fort.

Castigatio

Corporal punishment.

Castra

Camp.

Castra aestiva

Summer campaigning camp.

Castra hiberna

Winter base.

Castra movere

To break camp.

Castra peregrina

Military base at Rome for personel seconded from the provincial armies.

Castra praetoria

Praetorian camp.
A - base of the praetorian guard at Rome established by Tiberius.
B - dense close ordered formation in the late Roman army.

Castrense peculium

Possessions acquired by soldier during military service which remained outside the patria potestas .

Cataphracta

Body armour.

Cataphractarius

Heavily armoured cavalryman.

Cataphractus

Heavily armoured cavalryman.

Catapulta

'Shield smasher'. torsion gun.

Causarius

Soldier discharged for wounds or other medical reasons.

Cedo alteram

'Give me another'. nickname of a hated centurio killed in the Pannonian mutiny of AD 14 who used to break his vine sticks on the back of his men.

Celeusta

Naval officer.

Cenaticum

Provision of (money for) food. often extorted by soldiers billeted on civilians.

Centenaria

Small fortification.

Centenarius

Late Roman officer of equivalent rank as centurio .

Centenus

Unit of nominally a hundred men.

Centuria

'Hundred'. military unit of some thirty to two hundred foot soldiers.

Centurio

'Commander of hundred'. centurion. officer.

Centurio exercitator

Cavalry training officer.

Centurio ordinarius/ordinatus

Centurion commanding a centuria .

Centurio posterior

Second in command of a manipulus .

Centurio prior

Senior centurion of a manipulus .

Centurio regionarius

District centurion responsible for administration and law enforcement.

Centurio speculatorum Augustorum

Officer attached to the speculatores  of the praetorian guard.

Centurio stratorum

Officer in charge of horse supply to the army which was at times placed in command of the pedites singulares .

Centurio supernumerarius

Supernumerary centurion with special assignments.

Cervus

'Animal horn'. obstacle made of pointed stakes.

Cetra

Shield. small Hispanic buckler.

Cetratus

A - soldier equipped with a small shield.
B - skirmisher.

Charax

Wall.

Cheiroballistra

Torsion artillery.

Chiliarchia

Unit of nominally a thousand men.

Chiliarchos

'Commander of a thousand'. Greek term for tribunus .

Choortè

Cohort.

Cibaria

Rations.

Cibariator

Commissariat clerk.

Cibus

Food. ration.

Cinctus

'Girded with sword belt'. combat ready.

Cingulum

Late Roman military belt.

Cingulum militare

Late Roman military belt.

Circitor

Late Roman junior cavalry NCO originally tasked with making rounds to inspect sentries.

Circumvallatio

Circumvallation.

Civis Romanus

Roman citizen.

Civium Romanorum

Epithet of auxiliary units that were either originally recruited from Roman citizens or had received a mass grant of the citizenship for outstanding service.

Clades

Defeat.

Clades Lolliana

'Lollian defeat'. defeat of governor Lollius against invading Germanic tribesmen in 16 BC.

Clades Variana

'Varian defeat'. defeat of Varus in the Teutoburgian forest in 9 AD.

Classiarius

Sailor. marine.

Classicum

Military musical salute.

Classis

A - part of population with military service obligations.
B - fleet.

Classis Germanica

'German fleet'. Rhine fleet.

Classis praetoria

'Praetorian fleet'. main naval fleet stationed at Ravenna or Misenum.

Classis praetoria Ravennatium

'Praetorian fleet of Ravenna'. main Roman fleet based in Adriatic Sea.

Classis praetoria Misenatium

'Praetorian fleet of Misenum'. main Roman fleet based in Tyrhenean Sea.

Clavarium

'Hobnail money'. allowance given to soldiers for purchase of extra nails when involved in prolonged marching.

Clavis lignea

Wooden practice sword.

Clavicula

Curved wall and ditch extension protecting a gate of a marching camp.

Clavicularius

Guard stationed at the gate.

Clavus

Tunic decoration.

Clibanarius

'Field oven man'. heavily armoured cavalry trooper.

Clipeus

Buckler.

Cognomen

(Honorary) nickname.

Cohors

Military unit.

Cohors alaria

Allied - or auxiliary unit.

Cohors classica

Auxiliary unit originally formed of sailors and marines.

Cohors equitata

Unit of auxiliary infantry with attached mounted squadrons.

Cohors Germanorum

The unit of Germani custodes corporis .

Cohors milliaria

'Thousand strong unit'. military unit with an establishment strength of a 1000 soldiers.

Cohors palatina

'Palace unit'. tetrarchic title of cohors praetoria .

Cohors peditata

Infantry unit.

Cohors praetoria

A - bodyguard of a general during the republic.
B - unit of imperial guard.

Cohors quingenaria

Military unit with an establishment strength of 500 men.

Cohors speculatorum

Guard unit of Marcus Antonius composed of scouts.

Cohors togata

Unit of praetorian guard in civilian dress tasked with duties within the pomerium .

Cohors torquata

Auxiliary unit granted a torques .

Cohors tumultuaria

Irregular auxiliary unit.

Cohors urbana

Urban cohort. military police unit.

Cohors vigilum

Cohort of the watchmen. unit of the police force annex fire brigade.

Cohortalis

Soldier belonging to a cohors.

Collega

Member of the same unit.

Comes

'Companion'.
A - friend of the emperor.
B - late Roman army commander
C - elite cavalryman.

Comes domesticorum

Commander of the household troops.

Comes domesticorum equitum

'Count of the household cavalry'. late Roman guard cavalry commander.

Comes rei militaris

'Count of military affairs'. late Roman military commander.

Comitatensis

Soldier belonging to late Roman field army.

Comitatus

'Following'. imperial field army of the third century AD.

Comites dominorum nostrorum

'Companions of our lords'. imperial horse guards from the tetrarchy.

Comitia centuriata

Popular assembly based on ancient army structure of centuriae .

Comitiatus

Senior officer elected by popular assembly.

Commanipularis

Fellow soldier. brother in arms.

Commoda

Discharge benefits.

Commodiana

'Commodus' own'. honorary unit title.

Commeatus

Leave.

Commentariensis

Legal staff administrator.

Commentarii

Field commander's report to the senate.

Commilito

Fellow soldier.

Comminus

Close quarter fighting.

Compar

Soldier of the same rank.

Concha

‘Seashell’. shipwreck.

Concordia exercituum

'Concord of the armies'. propaganda slogan used on coins.

Conditorium

Depot.

Conductor

Supply contractor.

Congeries armorum

Pile of military equipment.

Conquisitor

Recruiting officer.

Consilium

Imperial advisory council.

Consistorium

Late Roman imperial advisory council.

Constitutio

Service regulation. Several sets of military constitutiones  were formulated by emperors, among them augustus and hadrianus.

Consul

Consul. highest magistrate in republican Rome commanding major military forces.

Consularis

Former consul .

Contarius

Heavy cavalry soldier armed with two handed pike.

Contiro

Fellow recruit.

Contubernalis

A - officer cadet.
B - squad member.

Contubernium

Tentparty. group of soldiers sharing a tent.

Contus

Spear. heavy two handed thrusting spear.

Conubium

Legal marriage.

Conveteranus

Fellow veteran.

Copiae

A - military forces.
B - supplies.

Cornicen

Horn-blower.

Cornicularius

NCO with administrative duties.

Cornu

A - horn.
B - wing of battle formation.

Cornuti

'Horned ones'. late Roman auxilium palatinum .

Corona

Wreath or crown awarded as military decoration.

Corona aurea

Gold crown.

Corona civica

Wreath of oak leaves awarded for saving a fellow citizen's life.

Corona exploratoria

Crown awarded to scouts.

Corona graminea/obsidionalis

Grass crown awarded for saving an entire army.

Corona muralis

Crown awarded to first man reaching the top of an enemy wall.

Corona navalis

Naval crown.

Corona vallaris

Crown awarded to first man on top of an enemy rampart.

Corvus

'Raven'. movable boarding bridge.

Covinus

Celtic war-chariot.

Cratis

Wickerwork shield.

Crista

Helmet crest.

Crista transversa

Transverse helmet crest used as recognition mark of centurion.

Cuneus

'Wedge'.
A - attack column or wedge formation.
B - cavalry unit.

Cuneus equitum

Cavalry unit.

Cura copiarum

Supply management.

Cura explorationis

Responsibility for scouting.

Curam agens

Soldier in charge.

Curator

A - soldier, NCO or officer with special responsibilities.
B - supply administrator.

Curator cohortis

Interim commander of auxiliary regiment.

Curator Germanorum

Commander of the Germani custodes corporis , the imperial bodyguard.

Curator operis armamentarii

Person in charge of arms supply.

Curator veteranorum

Officer in charge of time served soldiers awaiting discharge.

Cursores

'Runners'. assault troops.

Cursus clabularis

Wagon post. imperial wagon transportation service.

Cursus honorum

The public career path of Roman nobles consisting of both civilian and military posts.

Cursus publicus

Imperial posting system.

Custos

Guard. guardian. sentry.

Custos armorum

Soldier tasked with the registration and supply of weapons and equipment.

Custos basilicae

Caretaker of training hall.