Swastika on roman army shields/gear

[Marcus Julius]

IF we wanted to ban any and all symbols from reenactment that are offensive because of the nazi's, we would have to ban more than just the swaztika (aka Hakenkreuz, prior to that dubbed a Greek Cross). Hitler was trying to recreate the Roman Empire completely, and steal all of Rome's former glory for the Nazi (short for national socialist) party. Watch some of the old films and look at the way the Nazi banners were hung. Can you say Vexilla? How about the "hail Caesar" style palm forward salute? Reichs Eagle disturbingly similar to our periods Eagle standards? All the way down to it being named the Third Reich (or third Empire). History warning here: the region of Germany was called the Holy Roman Empire for some time, which would have been the second.
It has even been argued that the propoganda machines of nationalism are what produced some of our modern (mis?)conceptions of the origin of the Goths.

Just because the hooked cross is a simpler geometric design that was easier to paint on the wings of aircraft and the sides of tanks doesn't make it any more or less stolen from the true Empire than all of these other symbols.

Now, having said that, I am not about to plaster one on every piece of my gear, just to prove a point. However, if I were to produce a piece that is a reproduction of something in period that originally had that symbol on it, you better believe I am going to put that symbol on it. Should anyone have the sense to challenge me on it, I would be more than happy to explain to them why it is displayed. For those that don't confront, and pretend to be offended, I can only pray that they overcome the ignorance on their own.