08-12-2010, 01:23 PM
On Trajan's Column, auxiliaries are depicted in the act of taking and displaying heads, but praetorians, i.e. citizen troops, are shown holding up severed heads on sections of the Great Traianic Frieze re-used in the Arch of Constantine. Most of the literary evidence for head-taking and scalping by Romans relates to the Republic (but see Stiebel for Imperial Palestine). Decapitation and the brandishing of an opponent's head was sometimes a feature of single combat, e.g. by Cornelius Cossus after he killed Lars Tolumnius, or by Manlius Torquatus when he slew a Gallic champion. Scalping is implied by Silius Italicus when he describes the crest of Flaminius' helmet at Lake Trasimene, and Orosius has legionaries scalping Cimbric women at Vercellae.
For more examples, discussion and refs, see my book For the Glory of Rome, espec. chp. 3.
J.-L. Voisin, ‘Les Romains, chasseurs de têtes’ in Du châtiment dans la cite: Supplices corporals et peine de mort dans le monde antique. Rome: 1984, 241-293.
G.D. Stiebel, 'Scalping in Roman Palestine – "minime Romanum sacrum"?' Scripta Classica Israelica 24 (2005), 151-162.
Cheers,
R!
For more examples, discussion and refs, see my book For the Glory of Rome, espec. chp. 3.
J.-L. Voisin, ‘Les Romains, chasseurs de têtes’ in Du châtiment dans la cite: Supplices corporals et peine de mort dans le monde antique. Rome: 1984, 241-293.
G.D. Stiebel, 'Scalping in Roman Palestine – "minime Romanum sacrum"?' Scripta Classica Israelica 24 (2005), 151-162.
Cheers,
R!
