A general with a white plume and town militia

[Natuspardo]

A scene from Claudian's De bello Gothico gives a good indication for the plume color and its particular importance for a late Roman general. It deals with Stilicho's entrance into Milan 402 after the town had been besieged by Alaric's Goths for months. Stilicho is clearly identified by his helmet. Additionally it mentions a town militia.

That very day Rome rang with the report (though none ever knew its author) that the hero had arrived, and the citizens, assured of Stilicho's protection, applauded this augury of certain victory. Who could tell of the Emperor's joy, who of the courtiers' eager greetings? From the lofty battlements we sight a distant cloud of dust and know not whether its obscurity conceals friend or foe. Suspense keeps us all in silence. Then suddenly from that dusty cloud emerged the helm of Stilicho, glittering like a star, and we recognized his gleaming white hair. Up rose the happy shout from the walls: " 'Tis he." Safe at last the crowd surges out through the gates to meet and greet the army's return. Gone for ever are our wretched impressed levies; no longer does the reaper, laying aside his sickle, try to hurl the impotent javelin, nor Ceres lay aside her harrow and, to the amusement of Bellona, essay the buckler. Stilled are the noisy wrangles of untried leaders; here is Rome's true strength, her true leader, Mars in human form.

The relevant sentence in Latin:

donec pulvereo sub turbine sideris instar emicuit Stilichonis apex et cognita fulsit canities

apex is used for the top of a helmet, in which the plume sticks, or pars pro toto (as here) for the helmet (see e.g. Verg. Aen. 10, 270).
canities = grey/white hair

What do you think what kind of helmet Stilicho wore? Intercisa or Spangenhelmet?


The translation and Latin is from Lacus Curtius:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/R ... o*.html#P1

edit: you have to copy the whole link - I dont know why it isnt hyperlinked automatically- maybe a mod could help?

[Robert Vermaat]

apex is used for the top of a helmet, in which the plume sticks, or pars pro toto (as here) for the helmet (see e.g. Verg. Aen. 10, 270).
canities = grey/white hair

What do you think what kind of helmet Stilicho wore? Intercisa or Spangenhelmet?

Or maybe a Budapest-type with a crista transversa?
Maybe Claudian (after all he's a poet) is referring to Stilicho's own flying manes? :wink:

edit: you have to copy the whole link - I dont know why it isnt hyperlinked automatically- maybe a mod could help?

It's the # that is the problem - nothing to be done I think..

[markusaurelius]

Perhaps an Augustberg/berkosovo.

[Natuspardo]

Or maybe a Budapest-type with a crista transversa?

That type according to Vegetius 2.13,4 was reserved for a centenarius. Not very unique to identify someone as a general.

Maybe Claudian (after all he's a poet) is referring to Stilicho's own flying manes? :wink:

I don't think so, Robert. Stilicho probably was born around 360 (beeing a very young man when his career started in the early 380s). In 402 he should not have got white hair! Second argument against canities refering to Stilicho's hair: We probably have a portrait of him: the diptych of Monza shows him - with short hair. And even if it should not portray Stilicho himself: all images of this period show generals (magistri militum) with such a more or less short hair style - contrary to bodyguards whose hair might indeed be seen under a helmet.

[Robert Vermaat]

Perhaps an Augustberg/berkosovo.

Why are you calling this helmet an 'Augustberg'?

Or maybe a Budapest-type with a crista transversa?

That type according to Vegetius 2.13,4 was reserved for a centenarius. Not very unique to identify someone as a general.

I don't trust Vegetius for such details, he could not even write 'ducenarius' right. :twisted: Besides, I don't thing he mentioned a 'transversa' there, either.

Maybe Claudian (after all he's a poet) is referring to Stilicho's own flying manes? :wink:

I don't think so, Robert. Stilicho probably was born around 360 (beeing a very young man when his career started in the early 380s). In 402 he should not have got white hair!

I had a teacher whose hair had gone completely white before he even reached 30. It happens quite a lot and is not related to desease or old age. It may have been typical of Stilicho, who knows.

Second argument against canities refering to Stilicho's hair: We probably have a portrait of him: the diptych of Monza shows him - with short hair. And even if it should not portray Stilicho himself: all images of this period show generals (magistri militum) with such a more or less short hair style - contrary to bodyguards whose hair might indeed be seen under a helmet.

Well, for the portrait he sure had his had in a Roman style, but then the prortrait was a very formal one, so you would expect that, even IF he had longer hair on other occasions.

Not that I'm suggesting he normally DID have long hair, but with his helmet removed, he would have been recognisable with white locks, would he not?

Also, I'm not suggesting that we should look for hair color instead of a crest as explanation of Claudian, just offering suggestions hre..

[Bill Thayer]

With the URL, the asterisk is the problem. In order to post a URL with an asterisk, the best system is to turn it into a TinyUrl by going to TinyUrl.com. You copy the link, including the local link if any, into their box, and out pops a usable result. Here, for example: [url:264v9rxk]http://tinyurl.com/42sbwj[/url]. (On the other hand, that's not the local link you wanted anyway; your passage is in fact here.)

[Mithras]

Or maybe a Budapest-type with a crista transversa? Maybe Claudian (after all he's a poet) is referring to Stilicho's own flying manes? :wink:

I thought the same, and put that comment in about his white hair in my book. If its a noteworthy attribute for a guy whos 30, Claudian and every other poet is certainly going to mention it - not if he's a 50-something general, when they're all either bald or white headed

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

Could the reference to white hair mean his crest was of the long horse tail-type which was seen in many helmets of this age?
Just a thought.