07-24-2007, 09:29 PM
While researching something I stumbled across those 2 things:
Historia Augusta:
The HA reports in the Vita Severi 7.1 that, after Severus dismissed the Praetorians their standards were carried through the town by his legionaries upside down. The commentary adds that this was some kind of sign of disgrace. the standards wouldn't have been destroyed because they were sacred but they were carried with their tip pointing at the ground to show they were disgraced.
Does anyone know about this practice? Are there any other references? Any other reference would be very very helpful. was this known before? was it a practice which only became popular later? (might just be one of the many mistakes and anachronisms the author of the HA makes)
the 2nd one is a bit tricky because I don't know where it's taken from. It is a footnote in my edition of Cassius Dio but I couldn't find the abbreviation anywhere (maybe someone can help and tell me where this is taken from?)
it is something called:
Exc.Salm.
Severus is talking to the Praetorians:
"As men appointed for the guarding of the emperor, he said, you gird your swords, not on your left side, but on your right"
So does that mean Praetorians used to wear their swords on the right and all others on the left by that time?
this brings me back to my old topic:
Arch of Severus
Where I tried :wink: to discuss the different depictions of soldiers on this monument. Still I think the distribution of shields and swords and seg. vs hamata is very interesting. Look at the group on the low right side: the soldiers wear seg., oval scuta and swords on the right. So maybe they are Praetorians? while hamata, rectangular and sword on the left are legionaries and oval, hamata and left are auxilia?
Historia Augusta:
The HA reports in the Vita Severi 7.1 that, after Severus dismissed the Praetorians their standards were carried through the town by his legionaries upside down. The commentary adds that this was some kind of sign of disgrace. the standards wouldn't have been destroyed because they were sacred but they were carried with their tip pointing at the ground to show they were disgraced.
Does anyone know about this practice? Are there any other references? Any other reference would be very very helpful. was this known before? was it a practice which only became popular later? (might just be one of the many mistakes and anachronisms the author of the HA makes)
the 2nd one is a bit tricky because I don't know where it's taken from. It is a footnote in my edition of Cassius Dio but I couldn't find the abbreviation anywhere (maybe someone can help and tell me where this is taken from?)
it is something called:
Exc.Salm.
Severus is talking to the Praetorians:
"As men appointed for the guarding of the emperor, he said, you gird your swords, not on your left side, but on your right"
So does that mean Praetorians used to wear their swords on the right and all others on the left by that time?
this brings me back to my old topic:
Arch of Severus
Where I tried :wink: to discuss the different depictions of soldiers on this monument. Still I think the distribution of shields and swords and seg. vs hamata is very interesting. Look at the group on the low right side: the soldiers wear seg., oval scuta and swords on the right. So maybe they are Praetorians? while hamata, rectangular and sword on the left are legionaries and oval, hamata and left are auxilia?
RESTITVTOR LIBERTATIS ET ROMANAE RELIGIONIS
DEDITICIVS MINERVAE ET MVSARVM
[Micha F.]
DEDITICIVS MINERVAE ET MVSARVM
[Micha F.]
