Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

SIGNA MILITARIA. SIGNA MILITARIA. 1045
of Victory was sometimes fixed at the top of the
staff, as we see it sculptured, together with small \
statues of Mars, on the Column of Trajan and the
Arch of Constantine. (See the next woodcut, and
Causeus de Siy. irn Go-evii Tlhes. vol. x. p. 2529.)
Under the eagle or other emblem was often placed
a:-head of the reigning emperor, which was:to the
army the object of idolatrous adoration. (Josephus,
B. J. ii. 9.~2; Suet. Tiber. 48, Calig. 14; Tac.
Ann. i. 39, 41, iv. 62.) The: name of the e amperor, or of him who was acknowledged as emperor,
was sometimes inscribed in the same situation. K
(Sueton.' respas. 6.) The pole, used to carry the 9
eagle, had at its lower extremity an iron point
(cuspis) to fix it in the ground, and to enable the,
taquislfer in-case of need to repel an attack. (Suet. < /
Jul. 62.).......
The minor divisions of a cohort, called centuries, i
had also each an ensign, inscribed with the number both of the cohort and of the century. By
this provision, together with the diversities of the
soldier was enabled with the greatest ease to take
his plnce. (Veget. 1. c.) ever
In the Arch of Constantine at Rome there are
four sculptured panels near the top, which exhibit
a great number of standards, and illustrate some of to adv ance (Caesar, B C. i. 2, ii. 25), seferre to
the forms here described. The annexed woodcut retreat, and caesatee to face abouti e2 /lru5, or
____________________________________________- 0castris vellere, to march out of the camp.: (Virg.
Georg. i. 108); ad siluna convenaine, to re-assemble.
\ r.~ - |1 (Caesar, B. G. i. 1. 37.) Notwithstandinig some
obscrity in the use of terms, it appears that,
_ _ I whilst the standard of the legion was properly.; i_ ~,_ ll |11 < ~called aquila, those of the cohorts were in a special
KIT 1l l a 4 )y 1 1 1l sense of the term called signa, their bearers being
signiferi, and that those of the manipuli or smaller
divisions of the cohort were denominated vex/ill,
their bearers being vexillarii. Also those who
-| | fought in the first ramlks of the legion before the
I standards of the legion and cohorts were called
antesigcnani. (Caesar, B.C. i. 43, 44, 56.) A pecu.:
I\'ID~ S 1 1 1~ltih"rY\. ~ CN | | liar application of the term vexillarii is explained
N 7 _ion p. 507, b.
/i 507 b.' [In mIilittary stratagems it was sometimes neces[{~" (/~"~1!'~{'i~i!}i~!'.~{ ~1~\~5~.~!~}~ t1' sary to conceal the standards. (Caesar, B. C. vii.
45.) Although the Romans commonly considered
~q i~~il,~ ~lsita point of honourt to preserve their sta ndards, yet
threw them among the ranks of the enemy in'D 111r) IOIXg1Y<X |111&tkl1 order to divert their attention or to animate his
D Cllo 1.>lw1,\Elltt~jU1SE, %1\\ 8 11 1 lown soldiers. (Florus, i. I 1.) A wounded or dying
~___iIJ_______________ _j standard-bearer delivered it, if possible, into the
------ ---- - hands of his general (Florus, iv. 4), frot w-hom he
had received it (signis acceptis, Tac. Ann. i. 42).
is copied from two out of the four. The first panel In time of peace the standards were kept in the
represents Trajan giving a king to the Parthians: AERARIUv M under the care of the QAEsToa.:
seven standards are held by the soldiers. The We have little information respecting the standsecond, containing five standards, represents the ards of any other nation besides the Romans.
performance of the sacrifice called suovetaurilia. The banners of the Parthians appear to have had a
(Bartoli, A.4rc. Triizumphl-.) similar form to that of the Romans, but were more
When Constantine had embraced Christianity, richly decorated with gold and silk. [SERICUM.]
a figure or emblem of Christ, woven in gold upon A golden eagle with expanded wings was the royal
purple cloth, was substituted for the head of the standard of Persia. (Xen. Cyrop. vii. 1. ~ 4, Anab.
emperor. This richly ornamented standard was i. 10. ~ 12.) The military ensigns of the. Egyptians
called labarusm. (Prudentius cont. Syinm. i. 466, were very various. Their sacred animals were re488; Niceph. I-. E. vii. 37.) presented in them (Diod. i. 86), and in the paintSince the movements of a body of troops alld of ings at Thebes we observe such objects as a king's
ev-ery portion of it were regulated by the' standards, name, a sacred boat, or some other emblem, apall the evolutions, acts, and incidents of the Ro- plied to the same purpose. (WVilkinson, llan. aand
man army were expressed by phrases derived Cust. vol. i. p. 294.) The Jewish army was probably
from this circumstance. Thus signa inf/lrre meant marshalled by the aid of banners (Ps. xx. 5 a;
3x 3