A Centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. Centurions originally commanded a hundred men (a century) of around 80 legionaries, with the other 20 being servants and orderlies, but senior centurions commanded cohorts or took senior staff roles in their legion.
Centurions were held personally responsible for the training and discipline of the legionaries under their command, and they had a reputation for dealing out harsh punishment. The vine-stick was a symbol of the centurion’s authority and the implement with which he meted out this punishment.
Unlike Legionnaires, the Roman Centurions carried their swords (ensis) on their left side as a sign of distinction and carried the pugio (dagger) on the right, as the sidearm.
Centurions received a much higher rate of pay than the average legionary and often had important social status and held powerful positions in society.