Battlecry

[Tib. Gabinius]

To grap this theme once more up, here are some more informations.

We really dont know exactly what the imperial army used for they "war cry". It really looks close, that the tesserarii give a theme close to the day, campaign or imperator.

But, additionally to the other here called sources, Ammianus reported about the fight of Strassbourg, that the roman army used a barditus while they crushed into the enemies, a low starting voice useing tone which go straight to a kind of cry.
Its also mentioned at another battle 20 years later.

But as here also mentioned, it seems more to come from the german "bardi", which means shield, than from the roman word barritus, cause this ment the cry of elephants, just like barrus means elephant itself.

Comparing to this "Die Spätantike" of Demandt and "Das spätantike Bewegungsheer" of Hoffmann.

At least, the personal link between imperial armies and their legati or imperatores wouldnt fit to a call like "Roma victrix" or "Roma aeterna".

And by the way, its reported, i think it was Caesar but not sure, that the romans proceed in deep silence, while all the other armies make a lot of noise. And this were more scary than any warcry.

That mostly late roman authors like vegetius posting, thats its a good idea to bring such a cry up it seems an evolution, depending on the mix of tribes in the army.