The purpose of the Late Roman Draco standard.

[ValentinianVictrix]

... and that there must have been a reason for this other than the Draco being a signalling device as stated by Vegetius (although, having served in the armed forces myself I fail to see how such a standard would be used in a signalling role, waving it about would appear to be a complete and utter nonsense!).

The development of semaphore I believe, came from a simple but effect use of flags (perhaps dracos too) and timings delays between signals to send a coded message...I don't think it should be dismissed so lightly.

Nor do I think field signalling and static location signalling would be necessarily different to avoid confusion.

This has some interesting points...(not that I agree with all of it!)

http://www.theromangaskproject.org.uk/P ... lling.html

I was in probably in one of the very last Royal Navy recruitments to be actually taught semaphore! It's nowhere near the same as waving a large spear around with a several metres long windsock attached to it! No, I thats why I stated I cannot for the life of me see how it was used as a communication device.