Explanation: Centurions in the Roman military had exceptional authority to dish out physical punishment to subordinates with their mark of office - the vine staff. This was considered a ‘light’ punishment - it wasn’t something that went on your record, or anyone would remember, it wasn’t something that shamed you, unlike formal beatings with a cudgel. It was a “get your ass in gear” punishment that a good percentage of enlisted men probably experienced at one point or another.

For this reason, while centurions were sometimes highly respected (as they were expected to lead from the front, and their casualty rate was much higher than the enlisted men), they were also sometimes reviled as martinets. One centurion in particular acquired the nickname ‘Cedo Alteram’, ‘Give me another’, because he would beat troops so long and so hard that his staff would break, and he would call for another to continue the beating. That centurion in particular was the first officer executed during a mutiny brought about in part because of overly-harsh discipline. One must be careful when punishing armed killers, after all!