A 'decurion' was a
cavalry officer in command of a troop or ''
turma'' of thirty soldiers in the army of the
Roman Empire. A Decurion was also in the first century AD a commander of a Decuria; an eight man group sleeping in the same tent.
There were 120 cavalry in an ''Ala'' (auxiliary cohort) of a
legion. There were four decurions, each commanding thirty men.
In the infantry, the rank carried less prestige — a 'decurion' only led a squad called a
''contubernium'' or "tent group" of eight men — but they were still allowed to carry a ''
pugio'' or dagger as a sign of their rank.
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