Roman Standard and There History
Meaning of SPQR: The letters SPQR were often seen on the Roman standard. SPQR stands for
the Latin words 'Senatus populusque romanus' which mean the 'Senate and people
of Rome'.
The Aquila: During the reorganization of the Roman army the
general and consul Gaius Marius decided that the only standard he would keep in
use in the Aquila. The Aquila was known as ‘the eagle standard’ and was made of
silver, bronze or even gold which displayed an eagle with outstretched wings. It
was considered very bad luck if the Aquila fell into the hands of the enemy. So
the Aquila was remodeled so it could be hidden on the person of the standard
bearer.
The Vexillum: The Vexillum was a flag-like object used by the
Roman military to designate what legion they were in. The Vexillum banner
generally had SPQR, the legion and the unit number in roman numerals written on
the flag.
The Manus: The Manus was the open hand at the top of a standard
signifying the oath of loyalty taken by the soldiers. Sometimes the Manus had a
laurel wreath added on top of the standard which recognized a soldier for his
honor.
The Imago: The imago represented the Roman army’s loyalty to the
emperor. An imago standard might depict astrological signs representing the
period of the Zodiac under which the legion had been
formed.
The Draco: The Draco was the cavalry standard of each legion. This standard
consisted of the bronze head of a dragon with a long fabric body attached which
resembled the log body or tail of a snake or serpent. The standard was on a
staff and carried by a cavalry signifier called a draconarius. This standard can
be compared to a modern day wind-stock. There is also some speculation that a
loud whistle was added to the Draco to unnerve the enemy
Meaning of SPQR: The letters SPQR were often seen on the Roman standard. SPQR stands for
the Latin words 'Senatus populusque romanus' which mean the 'Senate and people
of Rome'.
The Aquila: During the reorganization of the Roman army the
general and consul Gaius Marius decided that the only standard he would keep in
use in the Aquila. The Aquila was known as ‘the eagle standard’ and was made of
silver, bronze or even gold which displayed an eagle with outstretched wings. It
was considered very bad luck if the Aquila fell into the hands of the enemy. So
the Aquila was remodeled so it could be hidden on the person of the standard
bearer.
The Vexillum: The Vexillum was a flag-like object used by the
Roman military to designate what legion they were in. The Vexillum banner
generally had SPQR, the legion and the unit number in roman numerals written on
the flag.
The Manus: The Manus was the open hand at the top of a standard
signifying the oath of loyalty taken by the soldiers. Sometimes the Manus had a
laurel wreath added on top of the standard which recognized a soldier for his
honor.
The Imago: The imago represented the Roman army’s loyalty to the
emperor. An imago standard might depict astrological signs representing the
period of the Zodiac under which the legion had been
formed.
The Draco: The Draco was the cavalry standard of each legion. This standard
consisted of the bronze head of a dragon with a long fabric body attached which
resembled the log body or tail of a snake or serpent. The standard was on a
staff and carried by a cavalry signifier called a draconarius. This standard can
be compared to a modern day wind-stock. There is also some speculation that a
loud whistle was added to the Draco to unnerve the enemy