Legionary Officers and NCOs - Late Roman Army (284 - 565 AD)

[Spurius Papirius Cursor]

You might find this post for a Late Roman RTW mod interesting. regarding standards and their evolution. ...

My thanks too Francis.

I wonder, is it drawing too long a bow to make this comparison? From the 17th to 19th Centuries, major European army units carried banners into battles dominated by he firearm. The culture of warring there and then seems to have comfortably accepted a certain theatricality. From about the Boer War onwards and with the advent of the machine-gun, flag-bearers charging into the teeth of battle seems to have diminished markedly.

Before and during the Princpate, the Roman warring culture, with its large-formation mindset, may also have been comfortable with guts-and-glory theatricality. Hence, the presence of eagles on the battlefield. After the Third Century's ravages, however, a far more pragmatic and business-like mindset that is Illyrian and not Roman dominates the "Roman" side of the battlefield. As in the modern era, regimental standards (I could imagine they deliberately kept the traditional form of eagles) would have been respected as symbols, but in few stretches of the imagination would they have willingly been committed to the actual ground of conflict.

These are just thoughts, not confident or proof-based assertions.

Cheers

Howard / SPC