AL MOMENTO ESAURITO

Elite Ser.: Roman Standards and Standard-Bearers (2) : Ad 192-500 by Raffaele D'Amato and Raffaele D'Amato (2020, Trade Paperback)

The 'eagles' and other standards of ancient Rome's armies were revered as sacred embodiments of the units that carried them, and fulfilled important tactical functions during battle. Throughout the chaotic 3rd Century AD, and the 4th-Century recovery, these roles remained unchanged, but the designs of the standards did evolve under the influence of various cultural changes. Foreign-influenced styles, such as the striking 'dragon' standard with its billowing fabric tail, became more popular; the growing cult of the emperor fuelled the use of imperial portrait images; and from AD 312, the adoption of Christianity by the Emperor Constantine introduced new Christian symbolism to military standards. Meanwhile, the appearance of standard-bearers also evolved, responding to developments in helmets and armour, and an increased 'barbarization' of the army's personnel. This fascinating book draws widely on literary and iconographic sources to identify, explain and illustrate these changes, and reconstructs them in dazzling new colour plates featuring Late Roman soldiers and their standards. Book jacket.

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