Steve Burch vividly portrays the bravery and glory of the Roman centurion in this thrilling composition. A professional soldier, the centurion led his command from the front right of the formation, to demonstrate his bravery to friend and foe alike. Often, this meant that the centurions suffered disproportionately heavy losses in battle compared to their troops. Unlike many soldiers, centurions were required to be literate so they could transfer the written orders of their leaders to the soldiers. To ensure enough experience to lead, centurions had to be at least thirty years of age. Highly feared, respected, and admired, the centurion helped keep the Roman Empire at the apex of the ancient world.