The
Primus Pilus was a member of a
Roman legionThe Roman legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the...
.
In the late
Roman republicThe Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, c...
, the
cohortA cohort was the basic tactical unit of a Roman legion following the reforms of Gaius Marius in 107 BC.-Legionary Cohort:...
of which there were six to ten, became the basic tactical unit of the legions. The cohort was composed of five to eight centuries each led by a
centurion-Military:* Centurion, professional officer of the Roman army* Centurion tank, British battle tank* HMS Centurion, name of several ships and a shore base of the British Royal Navy-Transport:* Centurion Engines, German series of aircraft engines...
assisted by an
optioAn optio , sometimes anglicized option , was a soldier in the Roman army who held a position similar to that of an executive officer in modern armies...
, a soldier who could read and write. The senior centurion of the legion and commander of the first cohort was called the
(first
fileA file is a military term for a number of troops drawn up in line ahead, i.e. one behind the other in a column. The number of files is the measure of the width of a formation of troops in several ranks one behind the other. A file is also small group of troops, usually two, detached for a specific...
), a career soldier and advisor to the
legateA legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
.
The
Primus Pilus was a member of a
Roman legionThe Roman legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the...
.
Historical role
In the late
Roman republicThe Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, c...
, the
cohortA cohort was the basic tactical unit of a Roman legion following the reforms of Gaius Marius in 107 BC.-Legionary Cohort:...
of which there were six to ten, became the basic tactical unit of the legions. The cohort was composed of five to eight centuries each led by a
centurion-Military:* Centurion, professional officer of the Roman army* Centurion tank, British battle tank* HMS Centurion, name of several ships and a shore base of the British Royal Navy-Transport:* Centurion Engines, German series of aircraft engines...
assisted by an
optioAn optio , sometimes anglicized option , was a soldier in the Roman army who held a position similar to that of an executive officer in modern armies...
, a soldier who could read and write. The senior centurion of the legion and commander of the first cohort was called the
(first
fileA file is a military term for a number of troops drawn up in line ahead, i.e. one behind the other in a column. The number of files is the measure of the width of a formation of troops in several ranks one behind the other. A file is also small group of troops, usually two, detached for a specific...
), a career soldier and advisor to the
legateA legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
. While every normal cohort was composed of 5 to 8 centuries (normally 6 in secondus to decius cohorts), the one that was led by the primus pilus (the first) had about 10 centuries, or 800 men. It also had "extra" men, who were cooks, clerks, etc. who did not fight.
The
Primus Pilus was so called because his own century was in the first file (
pilus) of the
first cohort (
primus). Only eight officers in a fully officered legion outranked the
Primus Pilus: The legate (
lēgātus legiōnis), commanding the legion; the senior tribune (tribunus laticlavus); the Camp Prefect (
praefectus castrorum); and the five junior tribunes (
tribūnī angusticlāviī).
In comparison to a modern military organization, centurions covered a whole range of ranks. Ordinary century commanders would be equivalent to a modern army's
lieutenantLieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police officer rank....
s or captains. The senior centurions leading cohorts would be equivalent to
lieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
s. The
Primus Pilus with his senior staff role might be considered equivalent to a modern
colonelColonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
Etymology
Due to similarity between
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
words
(
fileA file is a military term for a number of troops drawn up in line ahead, i.e. one behind the other in a column. The number of files is the measure of the width of a formation of troops in several ranks one behind the other. A file is also small group of troops, usually two, detached for a specific...
) and
, this rank is often incorrectly translated as "first spear centurion".