Republican Army

[Mitra]

signiferi. The next sentence described the distinction of centurions.

For Vegetius we must take in count the great variety of sources, where old republic and imperial sourcesis mixed. Can be a error think Vegetius have a real idea of antesignani. Probably he think to commander and officials legionary guards (not light infantry but with lighter armour), but it is a hypotesis.

L(ucius) VALERIUS CO
METIUS VETERA
NUS LEG(ionis) VIII AUG(ustae)
MILITAVIT ARMIS
ANTESIGNANIS
HER(edes) EX TEST(amento)
'Lucius Valerius Cometius, veteran of the legio VIII Augusta has served with the arms of the antesignani. His heirs according to the will.'[/list]

The text affirm "antesignan arms" an arm category not the arms of a corps, how Le Bohec have found in castrum III legion armouries

The antesignani were equipped differently from normal legionnaries. According to Vegetius this equipment was lighter than that of the rest. This would mean that they were light infantry or skirmishers, which was exactly how they operated in Caesar, BC, 1.43.

But Vegetius affirm they are grave armatura, only with lighter armour.

• [color=red]V. Legem etiam iudiciariam tulit homo castus atque integer iudiciorum et iuris auctor. In quo nos fefellit. Antesignanos et manipulares et Alaudas he has selected Greeks. Oh the fine bench of judges, Oh the admirable dignity of that council!"

  The comparison is from "simple soldiers (gregarii) and antesignani of Alauda legion (the unit preferred by Antonius)" in this phrase probably the sense is of principalis. The same in Ceasar I.57 where the comparison is with the centurions.
  
  
  

  ... Superius tamen institutum in equitibus, quod demonstravimus, servabat, ut, quoniam numero multis partibus esset inferior, adulescentes atque expeditos ex antesignanis electis ad pernicitatem armis inter equites proeliari iuberet,
  ..........
  The meaning of words changes continueously and ther is no a priori reason why antesignani should be an exception.

You translate expeditos like light armed, but the term indicate troops without impedimenta in primis (heavy or light). The procedure in march agmen is to leave heavy infantry units expedita in front or rear of army (view this in BJ, maniples expediti, cohortes expedite) like the extraordinarii in polybian army (and in effect two times in Livy text we can view probably the antesignani indicate the extraordinarii). THis is the much probable sense in of Caesar 3.75 where the fight is on the Ceasar rearguard, and is only for reference the 3.75 that in 3.84 Ceasar use again antesignani. The "ad pernecitatem armis" isn't especially typical to this troops in this Ceasar passage, can be only a temporary situation.