4th/ 5th century vexillum

[Caballo]

PS This coin had a legend on the vexillum that I could not decipher.


I've now found out It stands for

VOT XX Latin abbreviation: Votis Vicennalibus - vows (prayers) for twenty years of rule.

From DICTIONARY OF ROMAN COINS

VOT XX. (Votis Vicennalibus) within a laurel wreath on small bronze coins of:

- Diocletian, with or without mint mark
- Maximianus Hercules
- Constantius I Chlorus
- Galerius Maximian

Perhaps the top finial is an imago of the Augustus?

[AMELIANVS]

Thanks Claire- this all came out of various conversations we had!

Another one - poor pic I'm afraid.

Triumph of Licinius, Emperor 308-324 , cameo now in Bibliotheque Nationale de France. Vexillum with top and side finials, bottom and side fringes, and two head and shoulders- presumably the Emperor and co-Emperor?

That is wonderfull and I never saw it before!shame that it's so low resolution.I find two redrawings of it and information that guy killing barbarians from horsebach should be Constantine II while the main image should be as you said in the name of the arwork Emperor licinius.I belive there are three main possibilities about who is on the vexilum-1)Licinius and Constantine at that time co-rulers
2)or Licinius and his son of the same name like on one of his coins
3)Licinius and his wife sister of Constantine.

[Caballo]

Hi, heres a better picture of the Licinius cameo.
[/URL]

THe two heads of the vexillum can clearly be seen. A complete lack of any Christian imagery- perhaps to distinguish him from Constantine given their conflict.

And the barabarians under the hooves of the horses and the wheels of the chariot are clearly having a VERY bad day....

[AMELIANVS]

Much better now!Would be interresting to know what would be consequencies of "WHAT IF" scenario when licinius would be ultimate winner.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Nothing. Christianity still would have become the dominant religion, it still would have contributed to the decay of Learning and Culture and Innovation, and most importantly: would have taken away from Imperial manpower and authority, and still made recruitment harder.

Did it cause the fall of Rome? No, but it certainly was a minor factor in its decline.

[AMELIANVS]

Adding two other nice examples of later vexilla from the split of 9/10th centuries:

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi, heres a better picture of the Licinius cameo.
[/URL]
THe two heads of the vexillum can clearly be seen. A complete lack of any Christian imagery- perhaps to distinguish him from Constantine given their conflict.
And the barabarians under the hooves of the horses and the wheels of the chariot are clearly having a VERY bad day....

What that's cherub on the left carrying? A set of armour on a stick?? That helmet reminds me of the one shown in the 'de rebus Bellicis'...

[Caballo]

I think the cherub is carrying a tropaeum as shown here on Trajans Column http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...n_wars.JPG ?

[AMELIANVS]

I think the cherub is carrying a tropaeum as shown here on Trajans Column http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...n_wars.JPG ?

Certainly.It is shown on many other artworks,even on many coins.Recently I posted Diocletianic monument where such thing is also visible and it is on Arch of Galerius too.

[Robert Vermaat]

Thanks guys!
Especially that Diocletianic one looks very much like the helmet displayed here with the thoracomachus:
[attachment=9064]thoracomachus.jpg[/attachment]

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Umm... Where is the Thoracomachus? I just see tunics and what look like plumbnata or javelin quivers.

I would agree that the Niederbieber style helmets were used into the 4th century. They were well adapted to combat in the east against the Sassanids, and I'm sure some were passed down, like Lorica Segmentata was used until the late 3rd.

[AMELIANVS]

And also rectangular shield still shown on early 4th century Arch of Galerius(and coin of Probus):

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Probus was 3rd century was he not?

As for the shield, it is interesting. Didn't some Sassanid infantry use rectangular shields? OFC they could always be taking from earlier arches.

[M. Val. Naso]

MMFA: toracomachus is on the picture. It writes so at the top. The quivers may be some kind of legwear, and we don't know anything about the helmet, it is pretty universal. It has cheekplates which have small curves to protect your face, and they are attached to the bowl with hinges. Pretty much all of the roman helmets from the late 3rd century.

[AMELIANVS]

Probus is Third century Emperor but he had ruled in the final decades of it so I think if his coin shows what probably is rectangular shields just a few years before 4th century it is very likely it was still known form of shield at the start of Constantinian age.

As for Arch of Galerius-it is a work of best quality available in late Roman era and there is no doubt about all its panels were made exclusively for this arch so none of its images are recycled from earlier monuments.

It is debatable whos side are those soldiers with rectangular shields with Persians,Armenians and also Romans being mentioned by scholars.Truth is we can't be sure-BUT-what is much more important,it does not metter if those soldiers having it are indeed Romans or not it at least demonstrates quite clearly this type was still known and used at the split of 3/4century.