Decanus

Decanus - "foreman") - a commander for 10 people who lived in one tent-8 soldiers and 2 non-combatants,as well as servants or slaves. All of them were contubernia. The Dean was chosen from the Contubernium by the members of the Contubernium - most often the most experienced warrior. He was responsible for the discipline of the soldiers both on the march and in the camp. He had no special tactical role on the battlefield.

Daily Role

The decanus stood closest to ordinary soldiers because he managed not an abstract formation, but the men of one tent. He supervised order inside the contubernium, distributed small duties, helped transmit commands and watched the group’s readiness on the march. This made discipline continuous, not only a matter of drill.

Why It Matters

The decanus shows how the Roman army connected large units with everyday organisation. A legion consisted of cohorts and centuries, but each soldier lived daily inside a small group that shared food, equipment and responsibility. The contubernium was therefore an economic, training and combat cell at once.

Related topics

Legion,Contuberny

Literature

1. Vegetius. Epitoma rei militaris. 2. Adrian Goldsworthy. The Complete Roman Army. 3. M. C. Bishop, J. C. N. Coulston. Roman Military Equipment.

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