The centurion was promoted from the ranks on merit — the backbone of Rome's military machine, identifiable by a sideways helmet crest and the vine staff used to beat soldiers into discipline.
A commander of a century (a unit of approximately 100 soldiers) in the ancient Roman army. One of the most important officers in the Roman military system.
From Latin centuriō (commander of a centuria), from centuria (a group of one hundred), from centum (one hundred) Key roots: centum (Latin: "one hundred"), *ḱm̥tóm (Proto-Indo-European: "hundred").
The centurion was the backbone of the Roman military machine — not the flashiest rank but arguably the most important. Centurions were promoted from the ranks based on experience and merit, unlike tribunes who were appointed from the aristocracy. They were identifiable by their transverse helmet crests (worn side to side rather than front to back), shin guards, and the vitis — a vine staff used to discipline