Ab urbe condita

There were amongst the triarii two centurions, one in each army —the Roman, possessing but little bodily strength but an energetic and experienced soldier, the Latin, a man of enormous strength and a splendid fighter —very well known to each other because they had always served in the same Company.

The Roman, distrusting his own strength, had obtained the consuls' permission before leaving Rome to choose his own sub-centurion to protect him from the man who was destined to be his enemy.