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05-04-2002, 05:10 PM

In Anthony Birley's Book "Garrison Life at Vindolanda"there is a a letter (pugillares or Sectiles) mentioning the above . He is described as "a senior pen pusher in charge of a commandants office named after a small horn attached to his helmet". It of course refers to a Cohors .This is new to me . Anybody else come across this?

***Praefectusclassis*** · 05-04-2002, 05:40 PM

Just looked it up in Domaszewski, Rangordnung des RÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¶mischen Heeres. It appears that the cornicularius occurred in many varieties. On the whole they indeed head up the principales, on the staff of cohortes, legions, legati, praefecti, procuratores, etc. Greets 
 
Jasper

Caius Fabius · 05-04-2002, 05:43 PM

Which part is new? 
i.e. Gaius Luccius Sabinus' monument of AD 146 
lists that he was the senior clerk of a tribune? "Cornicularius". It was a rank that varied with the actual position of the patron, the senior clerk of a tribune would not have much "clout" while the senior clerk of a legate or governor would be someone who would have more influence than a centurion. It is not a "command" rank. The centurion would still outrank the governor's cornicularius, but which one had the governor's ear? (and sometimes his official seal?) 
"Just before class started, I looked in the big book where all the world's history is written, and it said...." Neil J. Hackett, PhD ancient history, professor OSU, 1987

05-04-2002, 05:52 PM

Salve, 
 
In Exploratio by Austin and Rankov, page 150, the title of cornicularius is described as derived from the corniculum (little horn), a republican era type of military decoration which was probably worn on the helmet. It gives as source references ILS 8888, Livius 10.44.5, Suetonius, On Grammarians 9, anonymous On famous men 3.72.3 and Plinius Natural history 10.124. 
 
Regards 
 
Sander van Dorst

05-07-2002, 03:56 PM

Funnily enough I was looking in "A scandalous History of the Roman Emperors" by Anthony Blond and found a quote from one julius Appollinaris writing to his father from Egypt where the prig goes straight to the Governor asking to be appointed librarius but instead is made librarious Legionis and says "So I went straight from the general to the cornicularis" 
 
I see nobody has referred to any illustrations and it brings to mind the Film masada where the messengers all have wings on their helmets. Is this based upon some authority I wonder?

05-08-2002, 07:32 AM

Salve, 
 
In publications that I have checked no reference is made to an actual depiction of a corniculum on the helmet and one should note the marks of caution regarding its use as an identifying mark on helmets. IIRC the Romans with sidetufts on their auxiliary C type helmets were supposed to be centurions in the Masada TV series rather than messengers. 
 
Regards, 
 
Sander van Dorst

05-08-2002, 12:34 PM

In Masada the messengers have wings the centurions tufts but I have never found any basis for either. There seems to be more justification for this small horn.

05-08-2002, 01:09 PM

Salve, 
 
My memory fails me on that point, so I will dig up the tape where I have recorded the abridged version of Masada and check it. There are examples of Italic helmets, dating prior to Roman conquest/absorption of Italy, that feature decorative wings. These are illustrated in Connolly's Hannibal and the enemies of Rome, pictures that were reused in Greece and Rome at war. Warry's Warfare in the Classical world should also have a drawing of such helmets. I am not aware of definitely Roman examples of this type of helmet. 
 
Regards, 
 
Sander van Dorst

05-08-2002, 05:11 PM

Salve, 
 
The origin may ly in the Greek term of pterophoros ('feather bearer' or 'wing bearer') used for messengers such as in Plutarch, Life of Otho 4.2. Rankov interpets this as a recognition mark attached to a spear (plate G1 in Osrey Elite 50 The praetorian guard). As with the corniculum it is not made explicitly clear where such an ornament, if actually worn (it may ofcourse have been so at some earlier point, but discontinued), would have been attached. 
 
Regards, 
 
Sander van Dorst

07-17-2002, 06:34 AM

Avete, 
 
Check Valerie Maxfield's "The decorations of the roman army" where she offers an alternative explanation for the source of the cornicularius' corniculum: quoting a letter from Pliny, she points to the alternative meaning of "shoulder" of the phrase "cornu" if I recall it correctly, and she supposes some badge of rank at the upper torso... 
 
Moreover, the latin dictionary gives other interesting possibilities. Cornu can mean besides "horn" : 
 
-the tips of the sticks around which scrolls are wrapped 
-the wing of an army in battle order 
-the part of the helmet crest tahat is not made of feathers or 
hair 
 
And why wouldn't there be a connection to the cornicen's instrument? 
 
"cornus" can refer to a spear made of a special kind of wood. 
And finally, an old city in Latium was called 'Corniculum'. 
 
Plenty of possibilities thence to avoid this strange little helmet horn in explaining the cornicularius title. Who came up with the helmet horn anyway? Domazevski or Mommsen perhaps? 
Those were the days that roman helmets could have had horns, our may have been made of leather as well, remember?? 
 
Finally, an old joke in our unit is that the feather tubes on the Imp. Gall. F helmets were designed for clerks as portable quill pen holders: right for blank ink, left for red ink.... 
 
Sebastiaan 
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