The Draco standard

[diegis]

The "rain of arrows" was shot from a stationary position, so I see no reason why the windsock wasn't stationary. After the long-range barrage, who is to say the draconarius didn't ride down off the hill and lead the close-in attack, a natural second application as the draco becomes a rallying point?

Again, Roman and Sassanian applications of the draco were not necessarily a carryover of its original intent. We have late 4th century foot soldiers wearing scale armour and led by a draco, but this is a newer indirect application of two inventions from an earlier horse-borne age. We still see windsocks at small airports, so how can we say the original version was used for some totally unrelated purpose? :dizzy:

First of all, the "draco" appear carried by Dacian infanterists on Trajan Column. Romans will adopt draco soon after, probably along with the Dacian auxiliars that will start to enter in Roman army. At some point Thracian and Dacian soldiers formed a significant part of Roman army, similar with Germanic soldiers in west.
The first "barbarian" and first "soldier-emperor" will be of a Thraco-Getae origin, Maximinus Trax.

Draco as windsock doesn't make sense becaue it will actually show to the enemies how to shot and place their arrows, not to those who wear them. Windsock use is to show how the wind blow in the place were the windsock is placed, not some 300-400 m away.
If two armies are placed at 400 m distance, face to face on north to south axis, and the wind blow from east to west over the army with those "windsocks", that will just reveal to their enemies that they need to shot their arrows a bit right or left (depends if they are in north or south) and will be of no help to those who use them.
If the wind was considered a problem probably would be enough that few archers to shot an arrow so everyone see how they fly and were they land, and then everyone will shot according with what they saw or is ordered.
Not to mention that a windsock will be useless when in move, like during that so called "parthian shot" and such