The Collaborative International Dictionary
Wikipedia
- the singular of hastati, a class of infantry in the armies of the early Roman Republic who originally fought as spearmen
Usage examples of "hastatus".
Promotions would have to be made, but they couldn't replace twenty-seven dead in the fighting, fourteen of them competent hastati who had served on Accipiter for more than ten years.
Decimius Flavus, one of the military tribunes, snatched the standard of the foremost maniple of hastati and called on them to follow him.
The third legion was similarly drawn up at the north gate, with this difference that the principes formed the front, the hastati the reserve.
The Roman commander drew up his principes behind the leading maniples of the hastati, and the triarii as reserves.
As soon as Scipio observed this he ordered the call to be sounded for the hastati to retire, and after withdrawing the wounded to the rear he brought up the principes and triarii to the wings, in order that the hastati in the centre might be supported and protected on both flanks.