Pabulatio | Collection of fodder. |
Paenula | Cloak. |
Pachos hyssos | Thick javelin. heavier variant of pilum . |
Palaistratiootès | Veteran. |
Palatinus | Soldier belonging to late Roman field army. |
Paludamentum | Officers' cloak. |
Palus | Stake used as target for weapons training. |
Panis militaris | Military bread. |
Panoplia | Armour. |
Papilio | 'Butterfly'. tent. |
Parazonium | Sword carried by senior officers. |
Parma | Usually round buckler. |
Parma equestris | Cavalry shield. |
Parmè | Usually round buckler. |
Parmula | Small round shield. |
Pectorale | Body armour. |
Pecuarius | Soldier attending to live stock. |
Pedatura | Infantry. |
Pedes | Foot soldier. |
Pedes singularis | Auxiliary infantry guardsman. |
Peditatus | Infantry. |
Pelekophoros | Axeman. |
Pelekus | Battle-axe or war hammer. |
Pellis | Animal skin. |
Peltastès | Skirmisher equipped with light shield. |
Peltè | Light shield. |
Pentèrès | Quinquereme. galley with five oarsmen on either two or three levels. |
Peregrinus | A - freeborn provincial without Roman citizenship.
B - soldier attached to castra peregrina . |
Perfuga | Turncoat. |
Perikephalaios | Helmet. |
Pes | Foot. length unit of either 294 mm or 332 mm. |
Petitor | Equstrian requesting military posting. |
Pezakontistès | Infantry javelineer. |
Pezos | Infantryman. |
Phalangarius | Foot soldier trained in Macedonian phalanx tactics. |
Phalangitès | Infantry man in phalanx . |
Phalanx | A - close formation of heavy armed infantry equipped with spears and round shields.
B - battle line.
C - legion. |
Phalarica | Spear. |
Phalera | Decorative disc. |
Phalerae | Set of discs used as military decorations. |
Pharetra (LA/GR) | Quiver. |
Phederatos | Allied soldier. |
Phrouria | Guard post. |
Phrouros | Guard. |
Phylax | Guard. sentry. |
Phylax tès chooras | 'Guardian of the land'. militia soldier. police man. |
Pia | Dutiful. |
Pilanus | Equivalent for triarius . |
Pilos hysteros | Centurion. Greek equivalent of pilus posterior . |
Pilleus Pannonicus | 'Pannonian cap'. late Roman military cap. |
Pilum | Heavy javelin with long metal shank. |
Pilum murale | 'Wall javelin'. term nowadays often incorrectly used to designate pallisade stakes. |
Pilum praepilatum | Training weapon tipped with a ball to prevent injury. |
Pilus | Equivalent for triarius . |
Pilus posterior | Deputy to pilus prior . |
Pilus prior | Centurion commanding a manipulus of pili . |
Pittakion | Chit. warrant. |
Pitulus | Drummer. used on ships to set the pace for the rowers. |
Planata | Flat shield. |
Plumbata | Lead weighted dart. |
Pluteus | Protective screen. |
Poliorketès | Besieger. |
Poliorkia | Siege. |
Pomerium | Sacred boundary of the city of Rome within which the wearing of war gear was prohibited. |
Popanum | Republican era cavalry shield shaped like a sacrifical cake. |
Populus | 'People'. part of the population with military service obligations, the people-in-arms. |
Populus Romanus | 'The Roman people'. Roman citizen body with service obligations. |
Porta | Gate. |
Porta decumana | Gate opposite porta praetoria , originally near the spot where the tenth manipuli of an army were camped. |
Porta praetoria | Gate facing the enemy. |
Porta principalis dextra | Right side gate. |
Porta principalis sinistra | Left side gate. |
Postsignanus | Soldier fighting behind the standards. legionary heavy infantry soldier. |
Praeco | Herald. |
Praeda | Spoils. plunder. |
Praefectus | Senior officer. |
Praefectus alae | Commander of a cavalry regiment. |
Praefectus castrorum | Camp commandant. |
Praefectus cohortis | Commander of a cohors . |
Praefectus classis | Fleet commander. |
Praefectus equitatus | Cavalry commander. |
Praefectus equitum | Cavalry commander. |
Praefectus fabrum | Officer in charge of artisans. |
Praefectus legionis | Equestrian legionary commander. |
Praefectus legionis agens vice legat | Equestrian acting legionary commander. |
Praefectus praetorio | Equestrian commander of cohortes praetoriae . |
Praefectus sociorum | Roman officer appointed to a command function in an ala sociorum . |
Praefectus urbanus | City prefect. |
Praefectus vigilum | Commander of the vigiles . |
Praemia | Discharge benefits. |
Praemia militiae | Discharge benefits. |
Praenomen imperatoris | First name of the emperor. all emperors carried Imperator, Commander-in-chief, as their praenomen . |
Praepositus | Commander. |
Praepositus copiarum | Supply offical. |
Praepositus horrei | Official in charge of the granary. |
Praeses | Equestrian provincial governor. |
Praesidium | Military outpost. fort. |
Praetensio | Military post. fort. |
Praetensione colligare | To fortify. to strengthen with military posts. |
Praetentura | Forward part of the camp in front of the praetorium . |
Praetor | A - senior Roman magistrate. during republic commander of minor military forces.
B - commander of allied contingent. |
Praetorianus | Soldier belonging to a cohors praetoria . |
Praetorium | Commander's living quarters. HQ. |
Praeventor | Late Roman skirmisher. |
Praiphektos | Officer. Greek transliteration of praefectus . |
Praipositos | Commander. |
Prata legionis | Fields or meadows reserved for the use of the legion. |
Pretium annonae | Ration allowance. |
Pridianum | Monthly or yearly strength report. |
Primanus | Soldier belonging to legio I. |
Primicerius | Late Roman officer. |
Primipilaris | Former primus pilus . |
Primus ordo | 'First officer'. centurion of the first cohort, whose officers outranked the other centuriones of the legion. |
Primus pilus | 'First spearman'. highest ranking legionary centurio . |
Primus pilus bis | 'First spearman for the second time'. senior centurion serving a second stint. |
Primus pilus iterum | Centurion serving second term as primus pilus . |
Princeps | 'Leader'. A - legionary heavy infantry soldier.
B - centurion in command of unit or administrative office. |
Princeps ordinarius vexillationis | Centurion in command of a detachment. |
Princeps peregrinorum | 'Commander of the foreigners'. centurio in charge of troops in the castra peregrina . |
Princeps posterior | Deputy to princeps prior . |
Princeps praetorii | Centurion attached to headquarters. |
Princeps prior | Centurion commanding a manipulus of principes . |
Principalis | Nco. |
Principia | HQ building. |
Privatus | Citizen without official capacity. |
Privatus cum imperio | Citizen granted extraordinary powers without holding office as magistrate. |
Privilegium | Privilege, perk. |
Probatio | Examination. |
Probatoria | Enrolment document. |
Probatus | Recruit deemed fit for service. |
Procinctus | Military readiness. |
Proconsul | Former consul exercising similar imperium after his term of office. provincial governor. |
Procursator | Advanced skirmisher. |
Proditor | Traitor. |
Proelium | Combat. |
Proletarius | Roman citizen unable to meet property requirements for military service. |
Promachos | Soldier belonging to the first battle line. |
Propagator imperii | Extender of the empire. |
Propraetor | Former praetor exercising similar imperium after his term of office. provincial governor. |
Propugnator | 'Frontrank fighter'.
A - elite soldier.
B - marine. |
Proreta | Assistant helmsman. |
Protector | A - bodyguard.
B - staff officer. |
Protector divini lateris | Late Roman staff officer. |
Protector domesticus | 'Household bodyguard'. late Roman staff officer. |
Protostasia | Recruiting tax levied on landownership. |
Provincia | Province. area of responsibility. |
Provincia inermis | 'Unarmed province'. province without a permanent legionary garrison. |
Psilos | Light infantryman. |
Pterophoros | 'Feather bearer'. messenger. |
Pteryges | 'Wings'. leather or linen strips for the protection of upper arms and thighs. |
Pugio | Dagger. |
Pugna | Fight. battle. |
Pugnator | Fighter. warrior. |
Punctim ferire | To stab (with a sword). |
