The Greek Battle Standard

[Sean Manning]

Here's a little start:

link from old RAT

DH

Thanks for that DH 8)

My thread is mildly provocative of course :wink: . I was expecting a tirade of responses pointing out the basic fallacy of the premise!!! :lol: However, there is an issue there which needs exploring, certainly in the case of the Spartans who seemed to employ some sort of visual devices (even if for quasi-religious as well as military ([size=85:1vyln0cd]hard to separate them in Sparta's case[/size]) purposes) long before the Hellenistic period. It's just a pity that no in-depth description exists (as far as I Know) of what this entailed (other than the Dokana).

Do you have any of these references to images of the Dioscuri carried before the Spartan army handy? I've never heard of them and it sounds interesting.

Basically, the mainland Greeks and Macedonians adopted military standards of the square-thing-on-a-pole variety from the Persians after Alexander's death. Some later Roman vexilla were made in the same style (with the addition of discs and crescents on the pole). The argument should be published in Ancient Warfare magazine next December.