Labarum | Late Roman military standard, that of Constantine the Great being known for the inclusion of the Chi-Rho sign. |
Lancea | Spear.
A - light thonged javelin.
B - thrusting spear with decorated blade used as badge of office. |
Lancea herculiana | Unspecified type of spear mentioned in Historia Augusta. |
Lancea pugnatoria | Combat spear as opposed to training weapon. |
Lancearius | A - soldier armed with lancea .
B - light legionary or praetorian infantry soldier. |
Lanchiarios | A - soldier armed with lancea .
B - light legionary foot soldier. |
Lanista | Gladiatorial weapons instructor. |
Lankia | Spear. term in Diodorus for Gallic thrusting spear with decorated blade. |
Latro | Bandit. guerilla fighter. |
Latrunculus | Petty bandit. guerilla fighter. |
Lectus | A - draftee. conscript.
B - chosen man. elite soldier. |
Lectus in sacro comitatu lanciarius | Picked out for service as javelineer in imperial field army. |
Legatus | Subordinate commander. |
Legatus Augusti pro praetore | Provincial governor. |
Legatus legionis | Senatorial legionary commander. |
Legeioon | Legion. |
Legio | 'Levy'. basic Roman military unit of several thousand men. |
Legio classica | 'Naval legion'. legion doing shipboard duty as boarding party marines. |
Legio comitatensis | Field army legion. |
Legio iusta | 'Proper legion'. legion constituted from citizens as opposed to unit levied from provincials. |
Legio palatina | Elite field army legion. |
Legio pseudocomitatensis | Frontier legion serving in late Roman field army. |
Legio urbana | 'City legion'. legion raised for defence of the city of Rome itself. |
Legio vernacula | Legion levied from provincials rather than Roman citizens. |
Legio volonum | Military unit recruited from slave volunteers. |
Legionarius | Legionary soldier. |
Leptos hyssos | Light javelin. type of pilum . |
Levis | Early republican legionary skirmisher attached to units of hastati . |
Levis armatura | Light armed. |
Liber commeatus | Unrestricted leave. |
Libera testamenta factio | Right to make a will free from formal legal requirements. important military priviledge. |
Liberalitas | ‘generosity’. alternative term for the special money grants more commonly known as donativum . |
Libertus | Freedman. |
Librarius | Archive clerk. |
Librarius caducorum | Clerk in charge of the registration associated with deceased soldiers and the disposal of their belongings. |
Libritor | A - slinger.
B - artilleryman. |
Liburna | Light war-ship. |
Liburnarius | Marine. |
Lignatio | Collection of firewood. |
Ligo | Entrenching tool. |
Lilia | 'Lilies'. concealed obstacle. |
Limes | Frontier road. |
Limitanei | Frontier unit. |
Lituus | Musical instrument. |
Lixa | Military servant. camp-follower. |
Lochos | Military unit. |
Lonchè | Spear. see lancea . |
Lonchophoros | A - soldier armed with lonchè .
B - legionary light infantry soldier. |
Lorica | A - body armour.
B - parapet. |
Lorica hamata | Mail shirt. |
Lorica plumata | 'Feathered armour'. ribbed scale armour. |
'Lorica segmentata' | Modern term for laminated plate armour. |
Lorica squamata | Scale armour. |
Loricatus | Armoured. |
Loricula | Small (and presumably light) set of armour. |
Ludus gladiatorum | Gladiatorial training school. |
Lupus | ‘Wolf’.
A - spiked drawbridge.
B - one of the five original legionary standards during the republic. |
Lusoria | Small boat. |
