Hi everyone
Yes ...I am back !!!!
Last year autumn saw the company Altores release a mass of figures some of which were announced here on PF and in social media
The one we will look at now depicts probably the iconic roman soldier ...the Signifer , of course we have had other companies release this type of subject but this is Altores take on it .
The honor of carrying these "Standards" was entrusted to veteran legionaries who generally were serving their extended enlistments after 20 years of service.
In Republican times, several icons such as the Eagle, Wolf, Bear, Boar or Minotaur were carried as the symbols of Republican Legions.
For a Legion, the "Aquilifer" bore the Aquila-Eagle, while the "Imaginifer" carried the Imago of the Emperor. Each Century and Cohort unit would have a "Signifer" to carry its Signum and a "Vexillarius" to bear the unit's Vexillum banner.
These standard bearers wore mail (hamata) armour instead of segmentata plate armor and generally are depicted wearing the heads and hides of Wolves "Lupae", Bears "Ursae", and in the case of a legion, maybe a Lion "Leo", over their helmets and armor.
They generally carried a round "Parma" style shield in deference to the usual rectangular "Scutum".
The poles for the various standards would have a butt spike to allow them to be stuck in the ground and many had a handle or "grab" to extract them from the ground and to more easily carry them while on the march.
Lets have a little bit of info on the standard depicted ....the SIGNUM
A Signum Standard, is maybe more widely recognized as an icon of Ancient Rome than the Aquila; and is thought to have been carried by the individual legionary and auxiliary Century units of the Legion.
The "massed" signums were generally carried at the head of the Legion while on the march.
Each signum was unique to its "Century" and was composed of a number of philarae (disks), along with a number of other elements mounted on a pole, topped with a leaf-shaped spear head or a "Manus" (human hand) image.
The Manus is believed to have designated the "Prior" (first) Century of a two-century "Maniple" formation; while the spear top would indicate the "Posterior" or second century of the "Maniple".
The Maniple formation, composed of two 80+ man Century units, was used during the Republic; but fell out of favor in deference to the full Cohort formation of six centuries during the Empire Period.
The Manus however continued to be displayed within Imperial Legions. One to six phalerae were displayed on a signum and the number of disks is thought to represent the number of the Century unit within the Cohort, as six century's composed a cohort and not more than six phalerae have been found in representations of signums from Roman times.
Above depicted on the Trajan column
Books are easy to get hold of here are a few that are interesting reading including the new one from Osprey in a series on the Standards ( Elite # 221 )
Continued in next post
Nap
Yes ...I am back !!!!
Last year autumn saw the company Altores release a mass of figures some of which were announced here on PF and in social media
Mainly Roman in subject matter we will be looking at one now with others to follow soon now that life crisis and personal matters have been resolved , I thank the company for the understanding.The one we will look at now depicts probably the iconic roman soldier ...the Signifer , of course we have had other companies release this type of subject but this is Altores take on it .
The honor of carrying these "Standards" was entrusted to veteran legionaries who generally were serving their extended enlistments after 20 years of service.
In Republican times, several icons such as the Eagle, Wolf, Bear, Boar or Minotaur were carried as the symbols of Republican Legions.
For a Legion, the "Aquilifer" bore the Aquila-Eagle, while the "Imaginifer" carried the Imago of the Emperor. Each Century and Cohort unit would have a "Signifer" to carry its Signum and a "Vexillarius" to bear the unit's Vexillum banner.
These standard bearers wore mail (hamata) armour instead of segmentata plate armor and generally are depicted wearing the heads and hides of Wolves "Lupae", Bears "Ursae", and in the case of a legion, maybe a Lion "Leo", over their helmets and armor.
Our subject wears a wolfs skin
They generally carried a round "Parma" style shield in deference to the usual rectangular "Scutum".
The poles for the various standards would have a butt spike to allow them to be stuck in the ground and many had a handle or "grab" to extract them from the ground and to more easily carry them while on the march.
Lets have a little bit of info on the standard depicted ....the SIGNUM
A Signum Standard, is maybe more widely recognized as an icon of Ancient Rome than the Aquila; and is thought to have been carried by the individual legionary and auxiliary Century units of the Legion.
The "massed" signums were generally carried at the head of the Legion while on the march.
Each signum was unique to its "Century" and was composed of a number of philarae (disks), along with a number of other elements mounted on a pole, topped with a leaf-shaped spear head or a "Manus" (human hand) image.
The Manus is believed to have designated the "Prior" (first) Century of a two-century "Maniple" formation; while the spear top would indicate the "Posterior" or second century of the "Maniple".
The Maniple formation, composed of two 80+ man Century units, was used during the Republic; but fell out of favor in deference to the full Cohort formation of six centuries during the Empire Period.
The Manus however continued to be displayed within Imperial Legions. One to six phalerae were displayed on a signum and the number of disks is thought to represent the number of the Century unit within the Cohort, as six century's composed a cohort and not more than six phalerae have been found in representations of signums from Roman times.
Books are easy to get hold of here are a few that are interesting reading including the new one from Osprey in a series on the Standards ( Elite # 221 )
Continued in next post
Nap
