08-03-2014, 06:21 PM (This post was last modified: 10-26-2015, 11:50 AM by Nathan Ross.)
The Strategikon mentions a late Roman military rank or post called (in English, by Treadgold and others) a 'Cape Bearer'. Apparently some kind of aide or orderly to the commanding officer.
Does anyone know which Greek word Maurikios uses? And what might be the equivalent word or term in Latin?
My Greek is worth zilch, but I finally found an online version of the Greek-German edition of the Strategicon.
George T. Dennis, Ernst Gamillscheg: Das Strategikon des Maurikios (Griechisch-Deutsch), Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae - Band 17, Vienna 1981.
Still with lots of errors, but better than Dennis' later publication in English.
Here is a scan of the page, where I (hopefully) highlighted the sentence dealing with the cape-bearer (who apparently functioned as the replacement of the bandifer).
[attachment=10477]cape-bearer.jpg[/attachment]
Robert Vermaat MODERATOR FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
Mine's worse - I can't even pronounce the words unless I know exactly what I'm looking for!... Which of the words you highlighted relates to this 'cape bearer', do you think? Any idea how the word might sound? If he was replacing the bandifer, who carried a flag, then perhaps it was a different sort of flag and not a 'cape' he was 'bearing'?
Like you both, I don't know much Greek. However, here are my thoughts. The words translated as 'cape bearer' are χάππαν βαστάζων. Of these, βαστάζων means 'bearer' or 'carrier' but χάππαν defeats Lewis & Short. My guess is that it is a transliteration from Latin. Cappa appears in mediaeval Latin as a word for 'cape', 'cloak' or 'cassock', so I presume that this led Dennis to translate χάππαν as 'cape'. Admittedly, this is much later than Maurice (11th to 15th century) but there is no reason why it should not have had an earlier existance.
Dennis suggests that this 'cape bearer' was a kind of orderly but his position in the line suggests that he was more important than this. He stood behind the standard bearer beside the trumpeter, the trumpeter standing behind the commander of the tagma. He was, therefore, in close proximity to the commander. I suggest that he might have been a messenger or signaller. The reference to 'cape' (if that is what it is) need not be taken too literally. Ammianus recounts that he indicated the presence of a troop of Persians by giving a recognised signal with his cloak (Amm. 18.6.13), so there is the possibility that the mention of 'cape' in the context of Maurice's tagma could be a generic term for signalling.
Michael King Macdona
And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
Quote:his position in the line suggests that he was more important than this... 'cape' in the context of Maurice's tagma could be a generic term for signalling.
Ingenious! And very plausible. He does seem a bit too important, as you say, to be a mere assistant, especially if he's supposed to replace the standard-bearer on occasion.
Then again, late Roman names for ranks and positions tend to be a bit obscure - 'senator' for example, or 'primicerius' for a chief centurion-type-person... Perhaps whatever it was he was supposed to be 'bearing' wasn't all that related to whatever he actually did?
Quote:Could flag bearer, color guard or bannerman be another translation?
I would guess that the 'bandifer' himself would be the flag bearer. But the cape-whatever-bearer might have been something to do with him...
Quote: especially if he's supposed to replace the standard-bearer on occasion.
Do we know that? This is where we need someone who knows Greek. Δευτερεΰων means 'second to' and Dennis translates it as 'next in rank'. It could just mean that he is in the rank behind the standard bearer.
Michael King Macdona
And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
Complete speculation - but knowing the military delight in having back-ups - could the cape bearer be wearing a reserve unit flag - vexillum or conventional flag - as a cape? If the standard went down in battle, a reserve piece of cloth of the right colour and design would be useful to hoist up on a spear-point to rally a unit or relay signals.
Quote:Δευτερεΰων means 'second to' and Dennis translates it as 'next in rank'.
Ah, ok! I was just going on what Robert wrote above. So it's open to interpretation, but this 'bearer' might not have anything to do with flags... (how is the Greek term χάππαν βαστάζων pronounced, incidentally? Could anyone provide a phonetic version?)
Developing my suggestion that the cape bearer might have been a messenger, which I base upon his position in the battleline, to the right and slightly behind his commanding officer, perhaps the post originally was that of a personal servant or batman amongst whose duties was the carrying of messages for his officer. By Maurice's time, this had become his primary role, to the exclusion of the menial tasks of a servant, but the title remained.
Michael King Macdona
And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
Quote:The words translated as 'cape bearer' are χάππαν βαστάζων. Of these, βαστάζων means 'bearer' or 'carrier' but χάππαν defeats Lewis & Short. My guess is that it is a transliteration from Latin. Cappa appears in mediaeval Latin as a word for 'cape', 'cloak' or 'cassock', so I presume that this led Dennis to translate χάππαν as 'cape'. Admittedly, this is much later than Maurice (11th to 15th century) but there is no reason why it should not have had an earlier existance.
My apologies. I misread κ (kappa) as χ (chi). Nevertheless, my remarks still hold good. Kάππαν also defeats Lewis & Short.
Michael King Macdona
And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
Quote:Developing my suggestion that the cape bearer might have been a messenger, which I base upon his position in the battleline, to the right and slightly behind his commanding officer, perhaps the post originally was that of a personal servant or batman amongst whose duties was the carrying of messages for his officer. By Maurice's time, this had become his primary role, to the exclusion of the menial tasks of a servant, but the title remained.
Nice discussion so far. Thanks Michael for the explanations. Indeed I based my comment on the text, which was of course also originally translated by Dennis (and who, according to Rance at least, sometimes is not quite accurate).
Any thoughts as to why this man only seems to be present in the cavalry formation, but not in the infantry?
Robert Vermaat MODERATOR FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
Quote:Any thoughts as to why this man only seems to be present in the cavalry formation, but not in the infantry?
The alternatives that we have been considering seem to be that he was either a deputy standard-bearer or a messenger (I have gone off the idea that he might have been a signaller, except to the extent that that could fall within his duties as a messenger). If a deputy standard-bearer were required, this would seem to be even more necessary in the infantry and Maurice does say that there should be two 'eagle-bearers' in each infantry meros. However, if one of them was deputy to the other, he is not given a separate title; the same term (ornithoboras) apparently applied to both.
Messengers would be necessary in both the cavalry and the infantry but, whereas any infantryman could be required to run a short distance with a message, it was, perhaps, more important in the case of the cavalry, which could carry messages over greater distances at higher speed. If the 'cape-bearer' were a specialist dispatch rider, he might have been selected for his skill at riding at speed and/or have been provided with a swifter horse. Another possible explanation for his title is that it was considered important that he should be readily identifiable and, therefore, wore a distinctive cloak.
Michael King Macdona
And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
