DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13855#0351
SIGI LLAMA.
343
SIGNA MILITARIA.
it from Pugio, which denoted a dagger of the
common kind. Sicarius, though properly
meaning one who muidered with the sica,
was applied to murderers in general. Hence
the forms de sicariis and inter sicarios were
used in the criminal courts in reference to
murder. Thus judicium inter sicarios, " a
trial for murder;" defendere inter sicarios,
" to defend against a charge of murder."
SIGILLARIA. [Saturnalia.]
SIGNA MILITARIA (crr^a, onyalai),
military ensigns or standards. The most
ancient standard employed by the Romans is
said to have been a handful of straw fixed to
the top of a spear or pole. Hence the com-
pany of soldiers belonging to it was called
Manipulus. The bundle of hay or fern was
soon succeeded by the figures of animals, viz.
the eagle, the wolf, the minotaur, the horse,
and the boar. These appear to have cor-
responded to the five divisions of the Roman
army as shown on p. 165. The eagle (aquila)
was carried by the aquilifer in the midst of
the hastati, and we may suppose the wolf to
have been carried among the principes, and
so on. In the second consulship of Marius,
nifer) under Julius Caesar is said in circum-
stances of danger to have wrenched the eagle
from its staff, and concealed it in the folds of
his girdle. Under the later emperors the
eagle was carried, as it had been for many
centuries, with the legion, a legion being on
that account sometimes called aquila, and at
the same time each cohort had for its own
ensign the serpent or dragon (draco, SpaKtof),
which was woven on a square piece of cloth,
elevated on a gilt staff, to which a cross-bar
was adapted for the purpose, and carried by
the draconarius. Another figure used in the
standards was a ball (pita), supposed to have
been emblematic of the dominion of Rome
over the world; and for the same reason
a bronze figure of Victory was sometimes
fixed at the top of the staff. Under the
eagle or other emblem was often placed a
head of the reigning emperor, which was
to the army the object of idolatrous adora-
tion. The minor divisions of a cohort,
called centuries, had also each an ensign,
inscribed with the number both of the cohort
and of the century. By this provision every
soldier was enabled with the greatest ease to
b. c. 104, the four quadrupeds were entirely , take his place. The standard of the cavalry,
laid aside as standards, the eagle being alone properly called vexilium, was a square piece
retained. It was made of silver, or bronze, of cloth expanded upon a cross in the manner
and with expanded wings, but was probably already indicated, and perhaps surmounted
of a small size, since a standard-bearer (sig- by some figure. The following cut, contain.
Military Standards (Bellori, Vet. Arc. Aug.)
343
SIGNA MILITARIA.
it from Pugio, which denoted a dagger of the
common kind. Sicarius, though properly
meaning one who muidered with the sica,
was applied to murderers in general. Hence
the forms de sicariis and inter sicarios were
used in the criminal courts in reference to
murder. Thus judicium inter sicarios, " a
trial for murder;" defendere inter sicarios,
" to defend against a charge of murder."
SIGILLARIA. [Saturnalia.]
SIGNA MILITARIA (crr^a, onyalai),
military ensigns or standards. The most
ancient standard employed by the Romans is
said to have been a handful of straw fixed to
the top of a spear or pole. Hence the com-
pany of soldiers belonging to it was called
Manipulus. The bundle of hay or fern was
soon succeeded by the figures of animals, viz.
the eagle, the wolf, the minotaur, the horse,
and the boar. These appear to have cor-
responded to the five divisions of the Roman
army as shown on p. 165. The eagle (aquila)
was carried by the aquilifer in the midst of
the hastati, and we may suppose the wolf to
have been carried among the principes, and
so on. In the second consulship of Marius,
nifer) under Julius Caesar is said in circum-
stances of danger to have wrenched the eagle
from its staff, and concealed it in the folds of
his girdle. Under the later emperors the
eagle was carried, as it had been for many
centuries, with the legion, a legion being on
that account sometimes called aquila, and at
the same time each cohort had for its own
ensign the serpent or dragon (draco, SpaKtof),
which was woven on a square piece of cloth,
elevated on a gilt staff, to which a cross-bar
was adapted for the purpose, and carried by
the draconarius. Another figure used in the
standards was a ball (pita), supposed to have
been emblematic of the dominion of Rome
over the world; and for the same reason
a bronze figure of Victory was sometimes
fixed at the top of the staff. Under the
eagle or other emblem was often placed a
head of the reigning emperor, which was
to the army the object of idolatrous adora-
tion. The minor divisions of a cohort,
called centuries, had also each an ensign,
inscribed with the number both of the cohort
and of the century. By this provision every
soldier was enabled with the greatest ease to
b. c. 104, the four quadrupeds were entirely , take his place. The standard of the cavalry,
laid aside as standards, the eagle being alone properly called vexilium, was a square piece
retained. It was made of silver, or bronze, of cloth expanded upon a cross in the manner
and with expanded wings, but was probably already indicated, and perhaps surmounted
of a small size, since a standard-bearer (sig- by some figure. The following cut, contain.
Military Standards (Bellori, Vet. Arc. Aug.)