the century - fighting unit

[Marcus Julius]

The reason 60 or 80 man units were called a century is because that's what a tactical unit in the Roman army was simply thought of as, through tradition from way back to the time of the kings.

Is this a reasonable statement?

It certainly is, Jim. Of course we can't assume that modern conventions parallel the ancient. However, the modern American army's organization is based on long standing traditions. Platoons typically average around 60 infantrymen. Some are larger, and many are smaller, but they are all still called a platoon.

It's not so much a designation of it's size, but rather it's 'tier' within the command and control structure of the military. Being the smallest unit that is commanded by an officer - it's Centurion.