Machaira | Sword. |
Machaira Iberikè | Spanish sword. Greek equivalent of gladius Hispaniensis . |
Machairophoros | Swordsman. |
Machina | Siege engine. torsion gun. |
Magister | A - officer.
B - NCO.
C - private with special responsibilities. |
Magister equitum | 'Master of the horse'.
A - late Roman senior officer
B - deputy to dictator during the republic. |
Magister militum | 'Master of the soldiers'. late Roman senior officer. |
Magister peditum | 'Master of the infantry'. late Roman senior officer. |
Magister populi | 'Master of the people'. equivalent title of dictator . |
Magister praesentalis | General of the late Roman imperial field army. |
Magister utriusque militiae | 'Master of both military services'. late Roman senior officer. |
Magistrianus | Late Roman intelligence operative. |
Mandatum | Command. order. |
Manica | Armprotector. |
Manipularis | Soldier serving in manipulus . heavy infantry soldier. |
Manipularius classis | Naval soldier. |
Manipulus | 'Handfull'.
A - unit consisting of two centuriae .
B - late Roman army squad. |
Manuballista | 'Hand gun'.
A - light torsion gun.
B - crossbow. |
Manubiae | Spoils. plunder. |
Manus | A - hand.
B - force. violence.
C - force. military unit. |
Manus ferrea | 'Iron hand'. harpoon. |
Manus Germanorum | Troop of Germans. early imperial horse guards. |
Martia | 'Martian'. ie dedicated to Mars, the god of war. |
Martiobarbulus | Lead weighted dart. |
Matara | Celtic javelin. |
Mathètès | Trainee. |
Mathètès hippeoon | Trainee cavalryman. |
Mattiarius | Spearman. javelineer. |
Mechanè | Siege engine. torsion gun. |
Medicus | Medical orderly. doctor. |
Medicus chirurgus | Surgeon. |
Medicus duplicarius | NCO on double pay in the medical service. |
Medicus ordinarius | Medical officer. |
Mensor | Surveyor. |
Miles | Soldier. |
Miles gloriosus | 'Glorious soldier'. comic braggart soldier character. |
Miles gregarius | Private. common soldier. |
Miles gregalis | Private. common soldier. |
Miles medicus | Medical orderly. army doctor. |
Militaris | Military. |
Militaris cibus | Military food. |
Militia | Equestrian term of military service. |
Militia armata | Armed military service. as opposed to service in the late Roman civil service. |
Militia equestris | Equestrian officer post. |
Militiae mutatio | Transfer to another branch of the armed forces. |
Militia officialis | The civil service, manned in Roman times by predominantly military personel. |
Militiae petitor | 'Petitioner for service'. equestrian requesting posting as an officer. |
Militia prima | First stint of equestrian military service involving command of an auxiliary cohors . |
Militia quarta | Fourth military posting in equestrian military career involving command of an elite ala milliaria . |
Militia secunda | Second term of equestrian military service. generally this involved a post as tribunus either in a legion or an auxiliary unit, though for a limited period this involved command of an ala , an auxiliary cavalry regiment. |
Militia tertia | Third tour of duty for equestrian officers involving command of an auxiliary fivehundred strong cavalry regiment, though for a short while a legionary or auxiliary tribunate was given as the third posting. |
Militia provincialis | Provincial army. |
Militia urbana | 'City troops'. the forces stationed at Rome itself. |
Mille passus | 'Thousand paces'. mile. the Roman mile was 5000 feet of either 294mm or 332mm giving a length of 1480 m to 1660 m. |
Milliaria | A thousand strong. |
Minister bello | Logistical officer. |
Minotaurus | Human headed bull standard which was one of the original five legionary standards in the republican army. |
Miscellum | Bronze table listing soldiers who had served their time. |
Missicus | Retired veteran. |
Missile | Projectile. |
Pilum missile | Throwing spear. |
Missio | Release from service. |
Missio causaria | Honourable discharge on medical grounds. |
Missio honesta | Honourable discharge. |
Missio ignominiosa | Dishonourable discharge. |
Misthios | Mercenary. |
Modiolus | Catapult washer. |
Mucro | Sword point. tip. |
Mulio | Mule driver. |
Mulus | Mule. |
Mulus Marianus | 'Marius's mule'. nickname for heavily laden legionary. |
Munerum indictio | Punitive fatigue duty. |
Munifex | Soldier without exemptions from duty. |
Munitio | Fortification. |
Munus | Fatigue duty. |
Murcus | Potential recruit who has cut off his thumb to escape military service. |
Murus | Wall. |
Murus caespiticius | Turf wall. |
Murus Gallicus | 'Gallic wall'. stone wall with a skeleton of stout wooden beams to lessen the impact of battering rams. |
Muscularius | 'Shellfish man'. late Roman marine. |
Musculus | ‘Shellfish’. type of boat. |
