among the Romans, an officer in the infantry, who commanded a century, or an hundred men.

In order to have a proper notion of the centurions, it must be remembered, that every one of the thirty manipuli* in a legion was divided into two ordines, or *See Manipulus ranks; and consequently the three bodies of the hastati, principes, and triarii, into 20 orders a piece, as into 10 manipuli. Now, every manipulus was allowed two centurions, or captains, one to each order or century: and, to determine the point of priority between them, they were created at two different elections. The 30 who were made first always took the precedence of their fellows; and therefore commanded the right-hand orders, as the others did the left. The triarii, or pilani, so called from their weapon the pilum, being esteemed the most honourable, had their centurions elected first, next to them the principes, and afterwards the hastati; whence they were called primus et secundus pilus, primus et secundus princeps, primus et secundus hastatus; and so on. Here it may be observed, that primus ordines is sometimes used in historians for the centu- Centurions of these orders; and the centurions are sometimes styled *principes ordinum*, and *principes centurionum*. We may take notice too what a large field there lay for promotion: first through all the orders of the ha-ritati; then quite through the principles; and afterwards from the last order of the triarii to the primipilus, the most honourable of the centurions, and who deserves to be particularly described. This officer, besides his title of primipilus, went under the several titles of *duo legionis*, *prefectus legionis*, *primus centurionum*, and *primus centurio*; and was the first centurion of the triarii in every legion. He presided over all the other centurions, and generally gave the word of command by order of the tribunes. Besides this, he had the care of the eagle, or chief standard, of the legion: hence, *aquile praeficis*, is to bear the dignity of primipilus; and hence *aquila* is taken by Pliny for the said office. Nor was this station only honourable, but very profitable too: for he had a special stipend allowed him, probably as much as a knight's estate; and, when he left that charge, was reputed equal to the members of the equitrian order, bearing the title of *primipilarius*, in the same manner as those who had discharged the greatest civil offices were styled ever after, *consulares*, *seniores*, &c.

**CENTURIPÆ**, Centoripa, or Centuripe, (anc. geog.), a town in the south-west of the territory of Etna, on the river Cyamaforus: Now Centorbi, or Centurippi. It was a democratical city, which, like Syracuse, received its liberty from Timoleon. Its inhabitants cultivated the fine arts, particularly sculpture and engraving. In digging for the remains of antiquities, cameos are nowhere found in such abundance as at Centurippi and its environs. The situation of the place is romantic: it is built on the summit of a vast group of rocks, which was probably chosen as the most difficult of access, and consequently the poorest in times of civil commotion. The remains still existing of its ancient bridge are a proof of its having been a considerable city. Cicero speaks of it as such. It was taken by the Romans, plundered and oppressed by Verres, destroyed by Pompey, and restored by Octavius, who made it the residence of a Roman colony.