A copiis militaribus | 'In charge of military supplies'. imperial secretary responsible for military expenses. |
A rationibus | 'In charge of accounts'. imperial secretary responsible for the treasury. |
A rationibus castrensis | Camp accounting secretary'. offical responsible for accounting supplies and provisions. |
Ab epistulis | Ín charge of letters'. imperial secretary responsible for military promotions. |
Absentia rei publicae causa | Absence on behalf of the state. military service meant that most types of legal action against a soldier were frozen untill his discharge. |
Accensus | 'Reservist'. light legionary infantry soldier. |
Acceptarius | Discharged soldier. |
Acceptum | Amount received by soldier after deductions from his pay. |
Acies | Battle line. |
Acies duplex | Double battle lines. |
Acies triplex | Triple battle lines. |
Aclis | Javelin. |
Actarius | Clerk. |
Ad pila et spathas | Close quarter combat. |
Ad signa | 'With the standards'. present with unit. |
Ad stercus | Latrine fatigue duty. |
Ad triarios redisse | 'To fall back on the triarii '. to have reached a desperate situation. |
Adaeratio | Recruitment tax. |
Adcrescens | Adolescent. soldier's offspring that would follow in the hereditary military service of the fourth century AD and received rations before taking up actual service. |
Adiutor | Assistant. batman. |
Adiutor librarii | Assistant clerk. |
Adiutrix | 'Supporter'. title borne by two legions raised from naval soldiers. |
Adlocutio | Formal speech. |
Aedes | Sanctuary in the HQ where the standards were stored and a likeness of the emperor was kept. |
Aenator | Military musician. |
Aerarium | Treasury. pay chest. |
Aerarium militare | Military pension fund. |
Aestiva | Summer campaigning camp. |
Aetos | Eagle standard. |
Agens in rebus | Late Roman intelligence operative. |
Ager publicus | 'Public land'. confiscated land belonging to the Roman state. |
Agger | A - earth wall.
B - assault ramp. |
Agmen | Column. |
Agmen quadratum | Square marching formation. |
Aichmè | Spear. javelin. |
Akontistès | Javelineer. light infantryman. |
Ala | 'Wing'.
A - unit of the allies.
B - unit of auxiliary cavalry. |
Ala dromedaria | Cavalry unit with attached camel riders. |
Ala milliaria | Auxiliary cavalry unit with an establishment strength of some thousand men. |
Ala quingenaria | Auxiliary cavalry unit with an establishment strength of some five hundred troopers. |
Ala sociorum | Unit of several thousand soldiers drawn from the socii or allies. |
Alaris | 'Wingman'. soldier serving in ala . |
Alaudae | 'Crested larks'. cognomen for the legio V originally raised by Caesar as a legio vernacula . |
Allagè | Relief of duty. |
Allectus | Chosen man. elite soldier. |
Ambulatio | Marching exercise. |
Ambulatura | Marching exercise. |
Amentum | Thong attached to a throwing spear to increase range and accuracy. |
Angareia | Requisition of transport. |
Angaria | Requisitioning of transport. |
Angusticlavius | Decorated with thin purple stripe. |
Angusticlavus | Thin purple stripe on tunic indicating membership of the equestrian order. |
Annona | A - provisions.
B - tax in kind. |
Annona foederatica | Subsidy given to allies. |
Antecursor | 'Front runner'. advanced skirmisher. |
Antepilanus | 'In front of the spearbearers'. soldier stationed in first or second battle line. |
Antesignanis | Elite legionary. |
Antesignanus | Soldier fighting in front of the standards. elite legionary foot soldier capable of fighting as both heavy and light infantry. |
Aper | Boar. one of the five original legionary standards of a republican legio and symbol of the imperial legio XX and llegio X Fretensis. |
Apollinaris | Dedicated to Apollo. |
Aquila | Eagle standard. |
Aquilae natalis | 'Birthday of the eagle'. anniversary of the official founding of a legio . |
Aquilifer | Eaglebearer. standardbearer carrying the legion's eagle. |
Architectus | Constructor of torsion guns. |
Archoon tou kontuberniou | 'Commander of the tent party'. squad leader, term used as equivalent of dekarchos . |
Arcuballista | Torsion gun. crossbow. |
Arcus | Bow. |
Arcuarius | Bowyer. |
Areani | Late Roman scout/spy unit based in Britannia. |
Aries | Battering ram. |
Arithmos | Military unit. Greek equivalent of numerus . |
Arma | Weapons. |
Arma antesignana | The weapons of the antesignani . lonchè or lancea and aspis . |
Arma legionaria | Legionary weapons. |
Arma postsignana | The weapons of the postsignani . xyston or pilum and thyreos or scutum . |
Arma velitaria | The weapons belonging to the velites . hasta velitaris and parma . |
Armamentarium | Weapons storage. |
Armatura | A - advanced weapons training.
B - weapon instructor.
C - soldier with advanced weapons training.
D - armament. |
Armatura duplaris | Weapons instructor on double rations. |
Armatus | Armed. |
Armicustos | Soldier tasked with the administration and supply of weapons and equipment. |
Armidoctor | Equivalent of doctor armorum . weapons instructor. |
Armiger | 'Weaponbearer'. armed man. |
Armilausa | Military clothing item. |
Armilla | Arm band used as military decoration. |
Artifex | Artisan. |
Arx | Fortress. |
Aspis | Shield. |
Aspis koilè | Curved shield used by legionary heavy infantry. |
Aspis platea | Flat shield used by legionary light infantry. |
Assiduus | Propertied citizen with military service obligation. |
Aurum tironicum | Money tax levied instead of protostasia . |
Auspicia | Supreme authority. |
Auxilia | Auxiliaries. |
Auxilia palatina | Late Roman crack infantry units. |
Auxiliaris | Auxiliary soldier. |
Auxilium | Late Roman infantry unit. |
Auxilium palatinum | Elite late Roman field army infantry unit. |
