General (Roman) in the context of "Manius Acilius Glabrio (consul 191 BC)"

Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies and other institutions organized along military lines. Responsibility for personnel, equipment and missions grows with each advancement. The military rank system defines dominance, authority and responsibility within a military hierarchy. It incorporates the principles of exercising power and authority into the military chain of command—the succession of commanders superior to subordinates through which command is exercised. The military chain of command is an important component for organized collective action.

Uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms of a number of countries. Ranking systems have been known for most of military history to be advantageous for military operations, in particular with regard to logistics, command, and coordination. As time went on and military operations became larger and more complex, more ranks were created and the systems of ranking became more complex.