CENTURION

In Ancient History, an officer in the Roman army, who had the command of half a maniple, or one sixtieth part of a legion. The word centurion signifies the commander of 100 men; but this number was in fact seldom complete, as the legion generally fell far short of its full complement. One of the two centurions of each maniple had a precedence before the other; and the centurion of the first century of the first maniple of the Triarians presided overall the others, and had the charge of the eagle or chief standard of the legion, which gave him the privilege of ranking with the knights. The badge of a centurion was a vine rod. [s. 224]