... was commanded by a centurion who was assisted by an optio. It appears that strict seniority applied to the ranking of centurions within the cohort so that the centurion of the sixth century of the cohort would be the most junior while the centurion of the cohort's first century would be the overall commander of the cohort. The first cohort of the legion was made up of six double-strength centuries, i.e. some 960 men. The first cohort was the 'teeth' unit of the legion entrusted with the more vulnerable right flank in the battle line. The Legionaries and their Officers The Legionary Roman citizenship was required before a man could enlist in a legion. There were stiff penalties for anyone caught masquerading as a citizen in order to become a recruit. This was due to the massive privileges enjoyed by legionaries before the law. The tradition of according special status to those ...

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