In the hierarchy of legionary centurions, the princeps prior of the first cohort held the second highest position, ranking immediately below the primus pilus. He was the princeps as such, often without further specification. By contrast, the princeps posterior of the first cohort, and the principes in the other nine cohorts, had to specify their titles as prior and posterior and to add their cohort, e.g. octavus princeps posterior or (centuria) X (decimi) pr(incipis)pos(terioris).