01-09-2011, 09:29 AM
Hey all,
Sorry to ask another 'military standards' question (mods this may belong in an existing thread - feel free to move if you feel that is the case)
I'm just wondering whether people think that the Draco standard replaced the old manipular signum? There is archaeological evidence for the signum on the arch of Constantine and on Constantinian coinage - so they seem to have been in use at least in the first two decades of the 4th century. However, I often wonder if Ammianus is using 'signum' as a generic term in his work to describe any military standard.
Against this Vegetius' contribution - where he explicitly states that the draco carriers replaced the signifers seems a little confused to me.
Is anyone aware of representations of the signum (on coins particularly) post Constantine? If so it would really help me out.
cheers,
Mark
Sorry to ask another 'military standards' question (mods this may belong in an existing thread - feel free to move if you feel that is the case)
I'm just wondering whether people think that the Draco standard replaced the old manipular signum? There is archaeological evidence for the signum on the arch of Constantine and on Constantinian coinage - so they seem to have been in use at least in the first two decades of the 4th century. However, I often wonder if Ammianus is using 'signum' as a generic term in his work to describe any military standard.
Against this Vegetius' contribution - where he explicitly states that the draco carriers replaced the signifers seems a little confused to me.
Is anyone aware of representations of the signum (on coins particularly) post Constantine? If so it would really help me out.
cheers,
Mark
