| Roman Centurion | |
|---|---|
| |
| Weapons | Gladius, Pilum, Scorpion, Dolabra |
| Origin | Roman Republic/Empire |
| Activities | Special forces |
| Service | 6th Century BC- 5th Century AD |
| Battle Status | Lost vs. Rajput Warrior |
| Experts | Terence Rotolo (Ancient Combat Specialist)
Matt Lasky (Roman Weapons Historian) |
"The Centurion is cutting edge because it is one of the first times in history that a man could make his living entirely by warfare and killing."
- Terence Rotolo
The Roman Centurion, killer commander whose brutal assaults, lead Rome to conquer the world;
vs. the Rajput Warrior, India's menacing martial arts master, who defeated enemies with a diabolical arsenal designed to kill.
Stats
- Year - 120 AD
- Height - 5' 8"
- Weight - 170 lbs
- Armor - Chain mail
Symbol - Roman Helmet
Weapons
| Close-Range: | Gladius |
| Mid-Range: | Pilum |
| Long Range: | Scorpion |
| Special Weapons: | Dolabra |
Deadliest Warrior: The Game
- Close Range: Gladius, Spatha, Sica
- Mid-Range: Lancea, Hasta, Trident
- Long-Ranged: Pilum, Plumbata, Gastaphetes
- Special Weapons: Falx
- Armor: Lorica Segmentata, Lorica Hamata
- Finisher: The Centurion slashes into the victim's back with his falx, tossing his shield aside. He then follows up with four more slashes into the victim's head and chest, before stabbing into their neck and raising his arms in victory.
Armor
In Deadliest Warrior, the Roman Centurion wore a Gallic helmet and lorica hamata (mail armor), though in several clips, the Centurion was shown wearing the more well-known lorica segmenta (armor consisting of segmented plates), and greaves. The Gallic helmet covered the top of the head and had hinged cheekplates and a sloping neck guard. The Centurion also carried the large Scutum shield.
Because the Roman army had no standardized armor and permitted its soldiers to use any armor provided it remained serviceable, it was not uncommon for a legion to have a mixture of different armor styles.
History
The Centurion was an officer in the Ancient Roman army. They were often selected for their skill and valor in battle. Centurions led their troops from the front lines, leading and inspiring their men by example. They also sought to display the skill and courage which may have got them their rank in the first place. However, because of their presence on the frontlines, they suffered a disproportionate number of causalites in battle when compared to their subordinates.
Each Centurion was put in charge of a centuria, or century containing about 80 men. Being directly responsible for the training and discipine of the legionaries under his command, centurions had a well-deserved reputation for dealing out harsh punishment.
Simulated Battle
The battle starts with a Rajput Warrior walking through a forest, investigating a clicking noise being made in the distance. As it turns out, the clicking noise is coming from the Roman Centurion cranking the lever on his Scorpion Crossbow. As the Rajput warrior gets closer and closer, the Roman Centurion loads a bolt into the Scorpion. The Rajput pokes his head from behind a tree and spots the Centurion. The Centurion fires his Scorpion, but the bolt misses the Rajput completely. He then pulls out his Pilum Javelin and charges at the Rajput, causing him to flee. The Centurion makes his way to a more open area, only to be met with one of the Rajput's Chakram discs. The Centurion blocks the Chakram with his shield, and then throws his Pilum. The Rajput, however, pulls out his Khanda sword and slices the Javelin in two. The two warriors glare at each other, waiting for the other to make his move. The Rajput pulls out his Aara sword and whips it around. The Roman Centurion then takes his Dolabra and charges at the Rajput. The Rajput jumps back and tries to strike with his Aara, but the Centurion blocks with his shield. The Centurion lunges at the Rajput and swings his Dolabra, but the Rajput jumps out of the way. He then swings his Aara and coils it around the Centurion's leg. The Centurion completely falls over, but is able to save himself from the Rajput by kicking a log at the Rajput and tripping him. The Centurion gets up with his Dolabra at hand and sees that the Rajput has also gotten up and pulled out his Khanda sword again. The Centurion swings at the Rajput, who moves back to avoid it. However, in doing so, he backs up and falls onto a giant log. The Centurion tries to take advantage and swing at the Rajput, but the Rajput rolls out of the way and causes the Dolabra to get stuck in the log. The Rajput then swings his sword and cuts the head of the Dolabra off from the handle. He prepares to swing at the Centurion, but the loss of the Dolabra's head allows the Centurion to swing the broken handle fast enough to hit the Rajput and knock him over. The Centurion pulls out his Gladius sword and begins swinging wildly at the Rajput, eventually knocking the Khanda out of his hands. He slashes the Rajput's face and forces him to the ground. He raises his sword and prepares to finish him off, but the Rajput puts on his Katar and stabs the Centurion in the stomach. The Centurion falls in pain, then looks up. The image of the Rajput weilding his Khanda is the last thing the Centurion sees before the Khanda slams into his face and kills him. The Rajput then pumps his fists in the air and yells in victory.
Expert's Opinion
Following the battle the experts gave their opinion on why the Rajput won. While the Centurion was a more professional soldier, hardened by his intense training alone, he was meant to fight in large battles with the rest of his Legion, not in single combat. The Rajput on the other hand, could battle by himself or with other Rajput, just as effective in either situation. Also, each Rajput was trained from birth to become a warrior, each one being trained in martial arts, and a master with each of his weapons. When it came down to it, it was the Rajput's superior training and skills in single combat that won him the match.
Trivia
- The Centurions battle footage with the Rajput is probably the shortest in all seasons.
- The Centurions first appeared in the episode Gladiator/Apache, getting attacked by the gladiator's sling.
- The Aftermath mentioned the show used Lorica hamata as a Centurion's armor was because Centurions often wore cheaper Lorica hamata.
- The Romans reappeared in Hannibal vs Genghis Khan episode as Hannibal invaded Rome before it expanded into an empire. Hannibal, despite being the enemy of Rome, was well respected by the Romans after his death for his skills as a general.
- The Romans were enemies of many Celtic tribes and barbarians. However, they allied or invited barbarians into their armies at times. Near the end of the Roman Empire, the legion was using more barbaric style shields, armor and weapons from barbarian culture.
- The Romans were seriously weakened by the invasions of Attila the Hun. Even after the Hunnic Empire collapsed, the Romans were quickly defeated by the Visigoths.
- The Axis leaders Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler compared their empires with that of the Roman Empire. The infamous fascist salute originated from the Roman salute.
- The Roman Empire used both soldurs and war Animals.
Gallery
