cohortstandards

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thats just like my day job..........ARRRRRRRRRGH!

[Paullus Scipio]

Yup !! .....Gotta agree with Jasper here ! (BTW - love that avatar!)
I have my own suspicions about Polybius' description of the legions which don't quite "ring true" in one or two places, but as so often, we just don't have the multiplicity of sources to cross-check !

But I'm with you, Byron - I like Polybius too...one of the more reliable historians, even with his Scipionic bias !! D D

As to standards, I had thought that the manus/hand was fairly obviously the maniple/handful standard, and the 'spearpoint' variety the century standard.
If each century was to manouevre independently, as many believe (including me) then a standard for each century would be necessary, just as Polybius tells us.

[AntonivsMarivsCongianocvs]

So, if I judge everyone by this standard of critique, no one is to be trusted but my own interpretation of events

I trust you Byron! :wink:

Seriously though, I would tend to place more trust in someone from antiquity, such as the historians Svetonivs, Dio Cassivs, and Vellevs Patercvlvs more than a more modern writer, such as the 1800’s Robert Graves and/or the writers at HBO’s Rome for example.

Of course, even the ancients would have put their ‘spin’ on the events of history but, I feel the closer you are to the event, the greater the likelihood of the description being accurate.

For example, I’m quite sure that Julius Caesar, Marc Antony and later Octavian would have been labeled “traders to the Republicâ€

[Vincula]

-- the 1800’s Robert Graves --

The what now?

[Mitra]

The question is how many of our primary sources are in reality primary sources?

Normally all the historian, latin and greek, are considerated primary sources for all the events they described in their books, but in reality the great percentage of them are secondary sources: they aren't witness of the events, haven't possibily to talk directly to other witness, or they live one or more centuries after the events.

We use greatly Cassio Dio for Auguste reign, but he write 2 century after, so he can have used only previous historians or documents: no historian of thirty years war dreamed to call "primary source" the Schiller's history, even if probably he had access to better, clear and numerous sources respect those of Cassio Dio.

Furthermore the same events after 20-50 years probably have 2 or 3 different versions, some real some invented other mixed. The same Tucydides, the more modern of ancient historian, creates the discourses pronounced in own proper history (1.22.1) (like all the others), so is hard the imaginate what other historians can have created for fill gap in own proper sources.

As Finley told the ability of ancients for inventing and their capability to believe are persistently understimated.

[Luca]

Weeks ago someone told me an intriguing story about "guide-animals".

"Guide-animals" were a group of relevant animals that were used by men as reference for places or distinctive of some population or also as truely "guides" in the land. It is a sort of religious conception or an emotive believing similar to celt comprehension of the Nature.
In this group of animals are the lion, the wolf, the bear and the leopard. Yes, they are aggressive and dangerous animals, and it is not a case their hides were used to cover "guide-men" like the Signifers, tha must indicate the route to their companions.

Following all this, we arrive at the hand, that could represent a stronger message "follow me" to the following soldiers.

Could be not true, but I found it extremely interesting.

[Tarbicus]

Following all this, we arrive at the hand, that could represent a stronger message "follow me" to the following soldiers.

We know the raised hand was a regular signal from leaders, or at least in representation (which a signum's hand essentially also is).

http://www.utexas.edu/courses/romanciv/ ... marcus.jpg

[M. Demetrius]

For a guide animal, I think I'd prefer a Labrador retriever over a lion any time. :lol:

[tiberivs]

Thanks anyone for your input

I will look it over and see what comes out.

Sorry that i didn't respond sooner because i was very busy with performances. now i have the time to do some writing about standards

ATM