Flower designs as shield Blazons

[Andrew Brozyna]

Many of the Roman auxiliary shields on Trajan's column, as well as Dacian and Celtic shields feature floral designs. I always thought it odd and interesting that something as fragile and non-warlike as a flower would appear on military equipment. I have two theories on this:<br>
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1. Flowers appear in spring, the beginning of the campaigning season.<br>
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2. I read that the flower-goddess, Flora, brought Juno a magical flower, with which Juno impregnated herself, giving birth to Mars. I believe Mars started out as an agricultural god, so could it be that in future years this war god came to be referenced on Roman shields with flowers?<br>
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Does anyone else have thoughts on this?<br>
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-Andy <p></p><i></i>

[Matthew Amt]

You thought socks with sandals was bad, you should see how flowers on a shield CLASHES with a PAISELY tunic!<br>
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Sorry, Andy, couldn't resist! Yeah, one of the Praetorians on the Cancelleria relief (I think) has a shield decorated with daisy chains. Tough Guy, oh yeah!<br>
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As Yoda says, "There is no Why--only DO."<br>
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Vale,<br>
<br>
Matthew <p></p><i></i>

[John Maddox Roberts]

It's not flowers, but those notorious hardasses the Vikings loved to slather intertwining vine designs all over their weapons and everything else. And the Samurai were crazy for cherry blossoms and other flowery motifs. <p></p><i></i>

[richsc]

The Univ of Penn museum has a relief of (maybe) Praetorians, whose shields have small scorpions on them and twirly vine and small flower motifs as well.<br>
The scabbard of the one funeral relief soldier also has the same swirling vine/rose motif as well; which I suppose would have been painted on the scabbard rather than a bronze cutout? That would like good over linen or leather covered scabbard. What do you think Matt, Nice set of flowers for Legio XX? <p>Legio XX<br>
Fortius Conamur<br>
<br>
</p><i></i>

[Crispvs]

I haven't got much to add about shield blazons but floriate patterns turn up in a number of cases on scabbards. The Fulham scabbard has an embossed front covered in a floriate pattern and all of the scabbards which survive with any detail remaining on the tropium traiani sculptures feature a floriate pattern. The valkenburg locket plate has a cut out design which is highly suggestive of a flower head and a dagger sheath from Usk in Wales had an enameled floriate pattern covering its front surface. Added to these are first century AD type 'A' belt plates which often bear punched designs which again resemble flowers, as well as embossed type 'B' plates which are sometimes found decorated with stylized acanthus leaves.<br>
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I somehow doubt that the Romans thought of flowers as being specifically feminine, as many people do today. Even in quite recent times it was not uncommon for soldiers to put flowers in their hats. Some British regiments still wear small roses above their cap badges on the anniversary of the battle of Minden in the Seven Years War, when the British and Hessian soldiers picked roses from the fields they were passing though prior to the battle and put them in their hats. On the anniversary of the victory those regiments which had been involved wore roses in their hats to commemorate their part in the battle and some have continued to do this down to the present day. At other times both before and after, flowers were often picked as field recognition signs to be worn in battle to distinguish friend from foe at close quarters.<br>
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If we take the femininity out of flowers we are still left with colourful decorative objects. Surely most small children draw flowers because they look nice rather than because they are effeminate. We know that the Roman soldier had no aversion to having flashy decorated equipment. Why then should there be a problem with decorating it (like the samurai did) with attractive gender neutral floral decoration?<br>
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Crispvs <p></p><i></i>

[richsc]

But then I wonder, how would the designs be done? Encaustic paint over wood? Cut out metal ? Casein paint over leather? <p>Legio XX<br>
Fortius Conamur<br>
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</p><i></i>

[TITVS SABATINVS AQVILIVS]

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<br>
About the flowers matter, don't forget the three names of Roma:<br>
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- the <span style="text-decoration:underline">secret one</span> is: ...<br>
(it's known today because so Lido wrote in the V century AD and so it was written in the famous Pompeii graffiti.<br>
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- the <span style="text-decoration:underline">sacred one</span> is: FLORA or FLORENS<br>
(maybe here is the connection with the flowers)<br>
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- the <span style="text-decoration:underline">public one</span> is: ROMA<br>
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Valete,<br>
Titus sabatinus Aquilius<br>
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<p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Flowers are associated with feminity, for some reason, by the moderns and in Europe.<br>
In Japan, the art of arranging flowers was part of a samurai's education. People not really known for their feminity..<br>
The roman civilisation was an agriculture based culture and flowers and vegetal things held a bigger significance for them than just decoration.<br>
Like said, maybe it was on the contrary a sign of virility, associated with procreation and fecundity..<br>
<p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Berzerker clan uses flower shields <p><img src="http://www.angelfire.com/space2/diluted2/berzerkersig.JPG" style="border:0;"/></p><i></i>

[NightHunter24]

Haha 'Berzerker whata pic..... hey isn't that Duggan and Mr. Fuji?.......(sorry wrong place)<br>
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ahem...going back to the subject....wouldn't the flower motifs also help distinguish certain units on the battlefield for example....or am I to assume that also the barbarians may have painted their shieds with flower motifs (which would make my question null)?<br>
<p></p><i></i>

[Crispvs]

Rich,<br>
Good question. The Fulham and Vindonissa scabbards have embossed brass fronts (the fulham scabbard showing floriate patterns) and the 'flower' pattern on the Valkenburg locket plate was cut out. As to paint, there are some natural substances which will permanently stain leather on contact but past that I know nothing more about them. A leather outer layer on a scabbard wood help to hold it together if damaged and treated leather could make a wooden scabbard more resistant to rotting under campaign conditions. For actual paint on leather, what sort of paint were the Dura scuta painted with?<br>
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Sabatinus,<br>
The flora/florens connection is interesting. As cities were personified as feminine, could there be connection here with the girl's name Florence (also the public name of another city in Italy)? Whatever the answer to that is, it would certainly be easier to draw/ cut/ paint/ emboss a simple flower than a recognisable eagle as a shorthand for the greatness, power and divine mission of Rome.<br>
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Antoninus,<br>
I like the virility angle. Perhaps that's why Florens is still a popular boy's name amongst German speakers. The only problem I have with the idea is that another obvious sign of virility, the phalus, appears to be absent from the (admittedly small percentage of the) weaponry which survives, although it is far from absent in the military context in general. Then again, it could just be that the phalus did not appear within the grammer of scabbard decoration, just as most elements of the grammer of dagger sheath decoration are absent from sword scabbards.<br>
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Caboose,<br>
Well, what can I say? Perhaps just that I don't think it adds anything to an otherwise interesting thread.<br>
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Crispvs <p></p><i></i>

[Uwe Bahr]

Crispus,<br>
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Florens is no German boy's name. I think you merged Florian with Lorenz. Both are of latin origin. Florian obviously comes from 'flora' and Lorenz (english: Lawrence) is the german form of Laurentius.<br>
Greets<br>
<br>
Uwe <p></p><i></i>

[aitor iriarte]

Caboose,<br>
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You must write one hundred times on the blackboard:<br>
<br>
"Vikings (not even berserkers) didn't wear horns on their helmets!"<br>
<p></p><i></i>