TESSERARIUS STAFF

[jho]

I am currently looking into the equipment of the tesserarii.

It appears that they used a staff similar to the one used by the optiones.

To date I have found only two depictions of this staff:

L(ucio) Ael(io) [----]ano tes(serario) leg(ionis) / I ad(iutricis) p(iae) [f(idelis) vix(it) an(norum) --]XVII m(enses) VI d(ies) / XV e[t ----]in(a)e
matri / et Ulp(iae) [----]tin(a)e sorori / et Senecio [---] et Aetern(a)e f(iliae) v(ivae) / Ulp(ius)Aeternalis / cus(tos) ar(morum) leg(ionis) s(upra)s(criptae) fratri par(entibus) / f(aciendum) c(uravit)

http://www.ubi-erat-lupa.org (type in ID-Nr. 663)


D(is) M(anibus) // Aurel(ius) Ingenuis t/esserarius leg(ionis) II Pa/r(thicae) |(centuria) I pil(i) post(erioris) qui vixit an/nos XXXV me(n)sibus V/II diebus X Geminius R/estutus collega et h/eres bene meren/ti fecit

AE 1993, 01588; Balty - Van Rengen, Apamea in Syria 1993, 45 Taf. 19

Does anybody know of any additional depictions of such tesserarius staffs?

Thank you!

[jho]

A post in this thread

SuroAURELIUS SURO

AURELIUS SURO is a TUBICEN and appear to have the same staff as optiones and tesserarii. Do we know of other classes of NCOs who were also wearing these staffs?

[jho]

A post in this thread

AURELIUS SURO

AURELIUS SURO is a TUBICEN and appear to have the same staff as optiones and tesserarii. Do we know of other classes of NCOs who were also wearing these staffs?

[Q. Vipsanivs Praetextatvs]

A tesserarius had a special equipment? why?

[Sardaukar]

A tesserarius had a special equipment? why?

AFAIK, both optio and tesserarius were placed in back of the century (opposed to centurion who fought in front), those long staffs were supposedly used to keep men in formation and prevent panic.

It'd make lot of sense to me, at least. And it'd keep the replacement of centurion (optio) out of the harms way too, preventing men going leaderless in case of centurion gettin killed (quite common occurance).

[Q. Vipsanivs Praetextatvs]

Well, tesserarius was the login keeper in night's vigiliae (tessera- tabella where was writted the login), and I think that for this he doesn't need a special equipment.