04-25-2013, 09:11 AM
According to Frontinus, book 2, 'on ambushes,' paragraph 34, during Spartacus' revolt, when Crassus' army defeated Castus' and Gannicus' group at Cantenna, after Camalatrum, Crassus' army (re)captured 5 Roman eagles, as well as 26 signa and 5 fasces.
Now the rebels had defeated two consular armies and a proconsular army earlier in the revolt, and looted one consular camp, so it's possible they captured 5 or even 6 eagles earlier in the revolt. But not necessarily likely, and anyway, why would most or all of them be with Castus' and Gannicus' group, and few or none with Spartacus' larger group. So it's most likely that most of these 'Roman' eagles were rebel eagles.
Outside of social wars, civil wars, etc. how common was it for rebels against the Roman Republic to copy Roman symbols, particularly political-military symbols like the eagle and the fasces?
Now the rebels had defeated two consular armies and a proconsular army earlier in the revolt, and looted one consular camp, so it's possible they captured 5 or even 6 eagles earlier in the revolt. But not necessarily likely, and anyway, why would most or all of them be with Castus' and Gannicus' group, and few or none with Spartacus' larger group. So it's most likely that most of these 'Roman' eagles were rebel eagles.
Outside of social wars, civil wars, etc. how common was it for rebels against the Roman Republic to copy Roman symbols, particularly political-military symbols like the eagle and the fasces?