Transverse Crests, when did they start being in use?

[Caius Fabius]

Looking at the Republican Roman Army, and even unto the time of Julius Caesar, I see various representations of "Centurions" without a transverse crest. When did this symbol come into use? Would it have been in use during the Wars of Mark Anthony? Would it have been in use during the Varus disaster? Did it only come into use later? How were centurions identified in the Republic? How were they identified during Julius Caesar's time? I obviously have too much time on my hands!!!

[Dan Howard]

The earliest transverse crest I can find is on a Spartan bronze figurine dating to the 6th century BC.

[Caius Fabius]

...but where does the Roman Army start using them as a symbol of rank for centurions?

[drsrob]

...but where does the Roman Army start using them as a symbol of rank for centurions?

Some Italian (Etruscan) helmets of Negau-type, dating from the fifth century BC, had fittings for a transverse crest. It is possible therefore, that Roman centurions had used transverse crests from the oldest times.

However, the only evidence for Centurions wearing transverse crest are a few 1st century AD gravestones and a remark by Vegetius, written down in the fourth century.

[Antonius Lucretius]

Given the evidence of thatr spartan warrior figurine and the presence of transverse crestholders on etruscan helmets I suspect that it was a common way to identify officers and that it was taken from the Greeks.
Much like the side plumes, actually, which begin to appear on thrakian helmets around Alexander's time.
The other interesting question is: when did this fashion died out?

[drsrob]

[...]
The other interesting question is: when did this fashion died out?

IMO when legionaries stopped wearing crests. That is, when the crossbars were introduced.
Vegetius states that centurions crests were also part-silvered. No metal remains of crests have survived, so for now it is safe to assume that crest-boxes were of some perishable material like wood. It's therefore more likely that the helmets were part-silvered instead of the crests.
This silvering might have been introduced to replace the transverse crests when these were abolished. That would make the Niedermörmter helmet a centurion's helmet as also the Nijmegen 'cavalry' helmet (aux. cav. H).
Significant in this respect is that the Niedermörmter helmet shows the name of the owner and legion, but not that of the centurion. And centurions were the only legionaries that were not under the command of a centurion.
A lot of maybe's and, if's etc. to be sure, but a plausible scenario.

[Robert Vermaat]

No metal remains of crests have survived

Ah, but some think that Vegetius was referring to the metal crest as seen on the Intercisa IV (e.g. Intercisa, Venlo, Gutmann collection) or the Richboough I (e.g. Richborough, Linz monument) helmets. Since most if not all Late Roman helmets were silvered, these crests would be silvered as well.

[drsrob]

No metal remains of crests have survived

Ah, but some think that Vegetius was referring to the metal crest as seen on the Intercisa IV (e.g. Intercisa, Venlo, Gutmann collection) or the Richboough I (e.g. Richborough, Linz monument) helmets. Since most if not all Late Roman helmets were silvered, these crests would be silvered as well.

Possibly, but these helmets were wholly silvered and Vegetius specifically says "part silvered" if I'm not mistaken.

[Robert Vermaat]

Vegetius refers to 'Iron helmets' on which 'sivered crests' were placed to distinguish the officers from the soldiers. I think we could read that as 'silvered crests on iron helmets', or 'silvered crest on silvered helmets'.
The main difference, as I read it anyway, is that he refers to silevered crests for officers whereas the soldiers a) have no crets or b) have crests, but not silvered ones.

Yes, Vegetius is very vagues, as usual...

[Tarbicus]

As an aside but relevant, here's a nice Republican centurio 54mm model on Ebay:
[url:2gt225fc]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2634&item=5982296592&rd=1[/url]



Cheers.

[hoplite14gr]

Very nice figure. An intersting depiction of a transverse crest.

I did some research for an illustrator friend for a centurion at the time of Julius Ceasar. We gave him armor like in the e-bay picture but iron vambrace for te sword hand and an Iron "Montefortino" type helmet with red horse hair plum like the ones appearing on the avatars of the republican era.
2 Iron grieves instead of 1 bronze that is assosiate with the renaks.
Some silver decoration was done on the cheeck pieces.
How "right" or "wrong" would that be?
Kind regards