in the Roman armies, certain supernumerary soldiers, designed to supply the places of those who should be killed or otherwise disabled. They were thus denominated, quia accen[blan]tur, or ad cen[blan]tum accidie[n]atur. Vegetius calls them supernumerarii legionum. Cato calls them ferentarii, in regard they furnished those engaged in battle with weapons, drink, &c. Though Nonnius suggests another reason of that appellation, viz. because they fought with stones, slings, and weapons que feruntur, such as are thrown, not carried in the hand. They were sometimes also called velites, and velati, because they fought clothed, but not in armour; sometimes adscripititi, and adscripitivi; sometimes rorarii. The accensi, Livy observes, were placed at the rear of the army, because no great matter was expected from them; they were taken out of the fifth class of citizens.

in Antiquity, denotes an inferior order of officers, appointed to attend the Roman magistrates, somewhat in the manner of ulers, ferentiarii, or tip-slaves among us. They were thus called from accire, to send for; one part of their office being to call assemblies of Accent of the people, summon parties to appear and answer before the judges, &c.

Accensi was also an appellation given to a kind of adjutants, appointed by the tribune to assist each centurion and decurion. In which sense accentus is synonymous with optio. In an ancient inscription, given by Torre, we meet with Accensus Equitum Romanorum; an office nowhere else heard of. That author supposes it for a corruption; and instead thereof reads, A CENSIBUS.