- Discens
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This article is part of the series on:
Military of ancient Rome (portal)
753 BC – AD 476Structural history Roman army (unit types and ranks, legions, auxiliaries, generals) Roman navy (fleets, admirals) Campaign history Lists of wars and battles Decorations and punishments Technological history Military engineering (castra, siege engines, arches, roads) Political history Strategy and tactics Infantry tactics Frontiers and fortifications (limes, Hadrian's Wall) A discens (Latin: discens, -entis) was a soldier of the military of ancient Rome who was in training to become an immunis, or specialist within the army.
Immunes took up the trades and skills of engineers, field medics, carpenters, and craftsmen. However, they were also fully trained and would be expected to fight in the infantry if necessary. The discentes were probably exempted, like the immunes, from standard combat and camp duties since their main occupation would have been time-consuming technical training.
Some known classes include:
- Discens Architecti - Trainee engineer or artillerist.
- Discens Armaturae - Trainee weapons instructor.
- Discens Aquiliferum (or Aquiliferorum) - Trainee eagle standard-bearer.
- Discens Bucinatorem - Trainee trumpeteer.
- Discens Capsariorum - Trainee medical orderly.
- Discens Epibatae - Trainee marine.
- Discens Equitum - Trainee cavalryman.
- Discens Lanchiariorum - Trainee javelin-thrower.
- Discens Mensorem - Trainee surveyor.
- Discens Phalangarium - A soldier training as a phalangarius during the 3rd century AD several experiments were conducted with Macedonian phalanx tactics, apparently requiring special training in weapons handling and drill.
- Discens Signiferorum (or discentes signiferorum) - Trainee standard-bearer.
References
- Parker, H. M. D. The Roman Legions. Barnes and Noble Books. 1993. ISBN 0-88029-854-5
- Peddie, John. The Roman War Machine. Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd. 1995. ISBN 0938289853
- Webster, Graham. The Roman Imperial Army A. and C. Black (Publishers) Limited 1979 (2nd edition) ISBN 0-7136-1909-0
- The temetfuture web site: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/temetfutue/
- UNRV
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