Centurion Position in Battle

[Renatus]

What I am guilty of, however, is a firm understanding in my mind of what I mean when I use the word 'command' or the word 'lead'

Isn't that what this argument has been about - imposing modern concepts of command upon an ancient culture? It seems to me that the function of the centurion is to 'lead' in the literal meaning of that word. That is why he has a distinctive crest on his helmet - so that those behind him can see and follow him. The soldier in battle does not want to be looking over his shoulder the whole time to see where his centurion is and what he is doing. Once the battle is joined, there is no scope for the centurion to wander about from one place to another; he has his position and that, to my mind is in the front or, just possibly, in the second line, alongside the signifer. The point has been made before that, for one reason or another, a unit is unlikely to be at its paper strength except when it is newly formed, so an argument based upon there being no place for the centurion to stand would founder on that rock alone and, should it be that the unit was up to full strength, I have no doubt that a man could be ordered to step back to make way for him.