Roman standards. Do any exist?

[Ryan H]

Have any been preserved or found?

[caiusbeerquitius]

Yes.

[munazio planco]

avete omnes


I know that there is a vexillum intact that now is in Russia and some years ago were found in the palatinum some spearheads of stendards and sheptre from the time of Massenzio.

[S. Marcer]

Hello Ryan,
here's a topic where it appear the intact vexillum from Egypt, originally published in the Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 32 (1942) pp. 92-106 by M.I. Rostovtzeff.

Best!
S.M.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

They had very high ones indeed....oh those standards!! :mrgreen:

I see someone has answered your query.

[caiusbeerquitius]

There is also this:
Signa Militaria

[PhilusEstilius]

Byron.

I have sent you an e-mail.

[Ryan H]

Gratis vobis ago!

[Draconis]

For what its worth, years ago in an antique coin shop in Sydney, Australia, I saw they were selling a small eagle, bronze, I believe, they said was from a Roman standard. I possibly could have bought it but I was into collecting English Hammered coins and looking for them. This was maybe 16-17 years ago.

[Magnus]

If it was small, it was likely from something other than a standard. The sculptural evidence depicts them as being fairly large.

[Draconis]

Might there have been secondary unit standards?

[Magnus]

Yes, but these were either vexillia or the cohort standards.

[markhebb]

Sorry to piggyback on this topic but I thought it was better than starting a whole new thread.

I'm frantically finishing my PHD thesis on military loyalty and the Roman army in late antiquity (235-395) and I'm editing my section on Signa. Hence I'm firing out random questions to people (LOL) in a panic that I've missed things.

Is anyone here aware of evidence that suggests the continued existence of the "Heraldic" Signa (stork, bull, bear other zodiac images etc) beyond the end of the third century. The latest I can find is the use of these images on the legionary coinage of Gallienus etc.

If anyone could help out it would relieve my stress levels down to...oh 12/10.

thanks
Mark Hebblewhite