Ranks of the Roman Legion (From Legionary to Legate)

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Ancient weaponry expert Dash Rendar explains how Roman soldiers got promoted

Co-authored by Dash Rendar and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: February 26, 2026 Fact Checked

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Roman Military Ranks

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Legion Structure

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Chain of Command

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Soldier Advancement & Promotion Timeline

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Promotions

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Soldiers’ Pay

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Video

If you were alive during Roman times, you might have joined the legendary Roman legion as a soldier! The Romans were conquerors who spread all over Europe, Asia, and Africa in their quest to dominate the world. To make so much progress, their army had to be super organized and efficient—and as a fresh recruit, you would have been inspired to rise in the ranks and make your emperor proud. We partnered with an ancient weaponry expert to help us explain all the ranks of the Roman legion, the chain of command, and what a regular soldier could expect in terms of promotions. Let's go!

What are the Roman legion military ranks?

A diagram depicting the different Roman military ranks

Ancient weaponry expert Dash Rendar says primus pilus was a pinnacle achievement for a career legionary. Below is a list of junior officers and soldiers in order of rank:

First centurion (primus pilus)
Centurions
Centurions-in-waiting (optio)
Guard commander (tesserarius)
Standard bearers (signifer and imaginifer)
Legionaries, velites (light infantry), and auxiliary soldiers

Section 1 of 6:

Ranks of the Roman Legion In Order

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The legate was the leader of the legion and responsible for commanding the troops in battle. To become a legate, you had to be a senator from Rome with experience as a praetor. A senator was an elected official who advised other parts of the Roman government on lawmaking. A praetor was an appointed official who had the authority to command an army. He could also preside over court proceedings.^{[1]
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Meet the wikiHow Expert

Dash Rendar is an ancient weaponry expert with 10+ years of experience. He is passionate about sharing history with his large following on both YouTube and TikTok.
The senior military tribune was the legate's second-in-command. He was also always a Senator, but a younger and less experienced one than the legate.^{[2]
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Senior military officer (tribuni angusticlavius) The legate had five assistants in addition to his tribune. These were called senior military officers and came from the wealthy equestrian class, which was one class below senators. Roman citizens could only rise to these high-ranking positions by commission (AKA they had to get appointed to the position), and they were an important step toward becoming an administrative officer, such as a praetor.^{[3]
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- Did you know? A praetor was basically a judge who oversaw civil and criminal cases, but he could also preside over the Senate and command the army if needed.^{[4]
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The camp prefect was the man who would assume leadership over the legion if the legate died. His responsibilities were organizing the legionary fortress and training the soldiers.^{[5]
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First centurion or first spear (primus pilus) Nine out of the ten cohorts in the legion contained 6 centuries (small groups of 80 regular soldiers). But the tenth cohort, called the first cohort, only had 5 centuries. These centuries were the most elite in the army and the ones entrusted with the legion's standard (AKA a symbol mounted on a pole). Rendar explains that the elite officer, called a centurion, who led the first century in the first cohort, was called the first spear (primus pilus).^{[6]
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Dash Rendar
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- Rendar says primus pilus was a pinnacle achievement for a career legionary.^{[7]
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  Dash Rendar
  English Warbow and Ancient Weaponry Expert
  
  Expert Interview} He outranked all the other centurions and soldiers in the army.^{[8]
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Centurions were professional soldiers and officers who led the centuries in the legion. The five centurions who led the 5 centuries in the first cohort outranked all the other centurions, and the primus pilus was the highest-ranking centurion of all.^{[9]
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Research source} Centurion was also the highest rank and the only officer class that a common soldier could hope to be promoted to.^{[10]
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The centurion-in-waiting was the appointed deputy and second-in-command to the centurion of his century. If the centurion died in battle, the optio would take command, at least until another centurion could replace him. He might even be elevated to the rank of centurion himself!^{[11]
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Also called a watch commander, this officer commanded and coordinated the group of soldiers who kept watch for threats at night. If enemies attacked or there was some other calamity, the guard commander and his men would be the first to alert the rest of the legion.
The signifer and the imaginifer were both standard bearers, meaning they carried emblems for their century. They also held other important duties. For example, the signifer was in charge of the soldiers' pay as well as the money they had saved. He also carried the signum, a spear with medallions on it and a rallying point for the soldiers during the heat of the battle. The imaginifer carried the imago, an image of the emperor, to remind the soldiers who they fought for.^{[12]
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The immunes were specialists who were paid higher wages than soldiers, and were also often excused from performing regular camp duties. They occupied special roles like architect, engineer, and surveyor—all very important to a large, mobile army that needed fortresses, bridges, and other things built on the go!^{[13]
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The legionary was the title for the Roman citizen soldiers within the legion. A legionary could pursue different roles in the army, depending on their skills. For example, a legionary needed to be able to read and write if they wanted to get promoted to a higher role. If they wanted to become a standard bearer and earn more pay, they had to be able to read and understand Roman numerals. They could avoid regular camp duties without getting promoted if they had a skill like carpentry.^{[14]
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Velites were the light infantry of the Roman army. These men carried lightweight weapons, such as javelins, and could sneak up on enemies at night and navigate rough terrain more easily than a regular legionary.
An auxiliary soldier was a non-citizen who enlisted in the Roman army. They would usually be in their own groups, separate from the legionaries, and would offer support to the main army. After 25 years of service, they would gain their citizenship and become real Romans.^{[15]
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Section 2 of 6:

Overview of the Roman Legion Structure

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The Roman legion was made up of 5000-6000 soldiers called legionaries. Citizens of Rome who enlisted in the Imperial army were called legionaries. They were divided into 10 large groups within the legion called cohorts. Each cohort was divided further into 6 smaller groups called centuries, and each century had about 80 legionaries in it.^{[16]
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- Non-citizen auxiliaries: In addition to the legionaries, a legion had auxiliaries: groups of non-citizen soldiers who took on roles as scouts, dispatch riders, cavalry, archers, and slingers.^{[17]
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Section 3 of 6:

Roman Legion Chain of Command

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At the top of the heap of the Roman legion was the legate, the leader of the entire army. Then came the senior officers, including the tribune, the camp prefect, the equestrian officers attending the legate, and the first centurion (primus pilus). Next were the junior officers: the rest of the centurions, the guard commander, and the centurions-in-waiting. Specialized soldiers like the immunes and standard bearers ranked the next highest, with legionaries, velites, and auxiliaries at the bottom.

Section 4 of 6:

Soldier Advancement & Promotion Timeline

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1
Enlisted/Rankers Rendar says initial training and early service included tiro to miles. Basic training was held at the legion base and lasted 4 months, similar to a modern day military boot camp. Once you transitioned to Miles Gregarius, you achieved full legionary status. Immunis was an entry level specialist (training for roles like medic or armorer).^{[18]
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- Tiro (recruit in training)
- Miles Gregarius (common soldier)
- Immunis (specialist)
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Junior Officers (Principales) Junior roles were considered mid-career advancement, Rendar notes. A soldier’s initial promotion typically took between years 2-10 of service. Promotions were based on merit and bravery in battle, leadership, literacy, and recommendations from a centurion/tribune.^{[19]
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- Tesserarius (watchword/guard commander who manages sentries)
- Signifer (standard bearer and unit paymaster; literate and trusted)
- Optio (centurion’s deputy; second-in-command of century; trains recruits)
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Centurions (59–60 per legion) Rendar says being promoted to centurion typically took 10-20 years of service. This promotion was pretty rare and it required a proven combat record and tactical skill appointed by legate or governor.^{[20]
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- Centurio (entry level: e.g., hastatus posterior in lower cohort; climbed ladder within cohorts; lower cohorts/centuries were first)
- Mid-level: Princeps, pilus grades 
- Primi Ordines (1st cohort seniors); elite centurions of the 1st cohort (e.g. the legion’s best/veterans) that outranked all others
- Primus Pilus (highest centurion); the highest centurion of all and a pinnacle career achievement for a Roman soldier
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Senior Staff According to Rendar, the primus pilus could potentially be elevated to the equestrian order, allowing him to command auxiliaries or become praefectus castrorum. However, very few centurions actually went beyond to equestrian commands or senatorial roles (those positions were for elites).^{[21]
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- Praefectus Castrorum

Section 5 of 6:

How Roman Soldiers Got Promoted

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Legionaries could get promoted by proving their skills and being literate. The highest rank legionaries could aspire to was camp prefect, but before that, they had to rise to primus pilus. To get there, they had to prove themselves as capable and skilled soldiers for years, and they also had to know how to read and write. Historians estimate that around 15% of Roman citizens were literate, so having this skill was a major accomplishment for a common soldier!^{[22]
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- Rendar says promotions were primarily merit based. This could include things like battle valor (virtus), discipline enforcement, administrative skill, letters of recommendation, and the emperor’s favor via donatives. Your connections also helped, he explains. This could include patronage from higher officers and even bribery.^{[23]
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- Senior officers were appointed based on social class and experience. During Rome's years as a republic, officers like the tribune might be elected by the common people. When Rome became an Empire, they were more often chosen by the emperor or other higher-ranking officials. Legates and camp prefects were also selected by the emperor.^{[24]
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Section 6 of 6:

How Much Roman Soldiers Got Paid

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Legionaries were paid 900-7200 sestertii yearly. Their exact pay rate depended on who was emperor at that time. For example, when the first emperor, Augustus, rose to power, the annual pay was 900 sestertii. Over time, as different emperors came to power, the pay increased, all the way up to 7200 sestertii per year under Maximinus Thrax in 235 AD.^{[25]
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- Sestertii were bronze coins, and one sestertius was worth approximately $10.90 USD. This means a legionary would have made the equivalent of about $78,489 under Maximinus Thrax!^{[26]
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- Standard bearers received double a legionary's pay. Meanwhile, centurions made 15-60 times the legionary's yearly stipend!^{[27]
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- Fascinated by Roman currency? Learn more at our "What are the most valuable ancient Roman coins?" forum page!