TĪRO

the name given by the Romans to a newly enlisted soldier, as opposed to veteran us , one who had had experience in war. The mode of levying troops is described under Exercitus . The age at which the liability to military service commenced was 17. From their first enrolment the Roman soldiers, when not actually serving against an enemy, were perpetually occupied in military exercises. They were exercised every day, the tirones twice, in the morning and afternoon, and the veteran i once. The state of a tiro was called tirocinium ; and a soldier who had attained skill in his profe ion was then said tirocinium ponere , or deponere . In civil life the terms tiro and tirocinium were applied to the a umption of the toga virilis, which was called tirocinium for i [ Toga ], and to the first appearance of an orator at the rostrum, tirocinum eloquentiae .