Signifer

[Guest jovialdude]

Hi all,

 

New to forum but arrived with a querie.

 

There were 60 (or 59) signifers with each legion. I've seen reproductions with the open hand and the various discs, but was there some sort of designation for each century's signifer?

 

For example, did the second century's signifer have so many discs and they were all gold or silver.

 

Thanks in advance,

Art

[Favonius Cornelius]

Interesting question. I also would like to know if there are any surviving standards.

[Sextus Roscius]

While I'm not entirely sure, I beleive that there wasn't any specification between the signifer and his armor depending on the century he represented.

 

That wouldn't make too much sense and would end up being costly and silly becuase if you were the 59th or 60th signifer, you would be wearing the equivent to the a large resturant sink filled with metal dishes, which would be too hard to wear or to even stand with. Wheras the signifer of the first century would have 1 or no discs what so ever and would be left fighting with chian mail which wouldn't be sufficent protection.

 

So it is most likely that the discs on armor had little or nothing to do with the century's place in the legion. They were just their for protection and to make the enemy scared since most of the discs found on armor are faces...

[Guest jovialdude]

Sorry, I guess maybe my question was vague.

 

I actually meant was could you look at a standard the signifer carried and know what century it belonged to because it had ... two gold discs and two silver discs so it was the 12th century (I'm just making up these designations so don't take me as a source).

 

I'm sure if the signifer was killed and someone else picked up the standard, the soldiers of multiple routed centuries could still rally around their own standard because it would be unique. Or maybe all the standards did look alike and you simply had to know your signifer (but that does not make sense).

[Sextus Roscius]

Oh, I took in incorrectly, my apologizes. I'm still not sure if that had anything to do with it, i'm sure Pilus would know but as for now I'll try to look into it.

[Primus Pilus]

...i'm sure Pilus would know...

 

I assume your talking about me, but no, I'm afraid I don't know, hence my hesitation to post earlier. Of course, we know that each fractional division of the Roman army from contubernium, centuria, cohort and through to the entire legion used identifying markers and symbols in banners, etc. to differentiate units, but I have never done research into uniform medallions, etc. Centurions could be marked by plumage and such decorative rank distinction but I personally don't believe the discs worn to have been significant in this way, but as I have said, I admit that I don't know.

 

If anyone can give you a quick answer, I'm sure the guys at Roman Army Talk can.

 

And Favonius... to my knowledge there are no surviving banners direct from antiquity.

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

Are there any surviving ones from the constantine and byzantine era?