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Quote:The first signa appears to be behind him and coming directly out of his head— difficult to see how he could be holding it;
...unless, as I said earlier, he's meant to be carrying it on his left shoulder, when it would naturally appear to be behind his head.
Again, to my eyes at least, number 5 ( the last guy) not only has a spear in his right hand, but a shield in his left - see the rim curving up from his knee to disappear behind his right wrist ? Numbers 3 and 4 are carrying the
signa over their left shoulders, and notice their right arms swinging forward ( as is natural when marching) and overlapping the guy in front in each case, so they can't be carrying anything in their right hands. Then comes the vexillum, perhaps in the 'background', then number 2, who might well be a senior officer - he is depicted differently to the others, and the fall of his cloak/paenula resembles the Emperor's - then the Emperor at number 1 ...........
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
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Quote:Are signifers still depicted with animal skins in the 3rd century AD ?
...they certainly are on the Marcus Aurelius column. Perhaps by the end of the second century or some time in the third, it would appear the animal pelts are gone and a
draco
(sarmatian style windsock standard) carried by a
draconarius has replaced the
signum as cohort standard........
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
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![[Image: disciplin1.jpg]](https://www.freemanandsear.com/products/disciplin1.jpg)
A little less ambiguous, perhaps?
Interesting things to note on this version:
Six figures total instead of five.
The standard bearer / legionaries all wear their swords on the right, with the hilts angled forward.
They are all in step.
The standard bearers (the guy in front appears to be bearing a fancy aquila, which would make him an aquilifer) hold their standards straight up, while the vexillarius holds his vexillum forward, at an angle.
The aquilifer, signifers and vexillarius are wearing animal skin head coverings with a nappy, furry texture, presumably over helmets. The emperor and officer behind him are bare-headed.
Queastions: Are the standard bearers armored- wearing short hamatae - or just dressed in hitched-up tunics?
T. Flavius Crispus / David S. Michaels
Centurio Pilus Prior,
Legio VI VPF
CA, USA
"Oderint dum probent."
Tiberius
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The more I look at it, the more I'm thinking the soldiers are wearing hamatae, perhaps with a dagged or scalloped lower edge. Hadrian seems to be dressed only in tunic and cloak; the officer behind him appears to be wearing a kilt of pteruges, presumably with a muscle cuirass. His cloak is draped the same way as the emperor's. Is this a sagum, or a paludamentum?
T. Flavius Crispus / David S. Michaels
Centurio Pilus Prior,
Legio VI VPF
CA, USA
"Oderint dum probent."
Tiberius
