left, A reenactor, equipped as a ''vexillifer'', with a ''vexillum'' standard
Vexillarius is a term referring to one of several distinct types of Roman soldier.
A vexillarius or vexillifer was one of the ''
signiferi
The signiferi of the Roman legions were the ranks entrusted with various tasks to do with standard-bearing. Early in the Roman Republic the single rank ''signifer'' performed all these tasks but later in the Empire the tasks became more specialis ...
'' in a
Roman legion
The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period o ...
. His duty was to carry the
vexillum
The ''vexillum'' (; plural ''vexilla'') was a flag-like object used as a military standard by units in the Ancient Roman army.
Use in Roman army
The word ''vexillum'' is a derivative of the Latin word, ''velum'', meaning a sail, which co ...
, a military standard displaying the name and emblem of the legion.
This standard consisted of a woven
fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not th ...
banner, hung on a crossbar attached to a pole or lance. It was used by both infantry and cavalry. It could designate a vexillation (Latin: ''vexillatio''), a detachment from a larger unit, though it was most likely also a standard for regular complete or component units (such as legions, cohorts, ''alae'').
The term vexillarius may also refer to specially re-enlisted veterans. These soldiers were so named because they served in a company (''vexillatio'') under their own
vexillum
The ''vexillum'' (; plural ''vexilla'') was a flag-like object used as a military standard by units in the Ancient Roman army.
Use in Roman army
The word ''vexillum'' is a derivative of the Latin word, ''velum'', meaning a sail, which co ...
standard within the legion, separate from the ordinary legionaries in the cohorts of that same legion. They had privileged status and were exempt from most basic duties other than combat or those other special skills they may have supplied.
Thirdly, vexillarius might have referred to any soldier serving in a temporary detachment or vexillation, away from the parent unit.
The vexillarius' uniform consisted of standard Roman armor and a helmet. Where a vexillarius was a standard-bearer (vexillifer), he will have had, place of the customary crest, the top of the helmet decorated with animal fur, such as a
lion or
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
.
References
{{reflist
See also
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Aquilifer
An ''aquilifer'' (, "eagle-bearer") was a soldier signifer bearing the eagle standard of a Roman legion. The name derives from the type of standard, '' aquila'' meaning "eagle" (which was the universal type used since 106 BC), and ''ferre'', the ...
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Signifer
A ''signifer'' () was a standard bearer of the Roman legions. He carried a ''signum'' ( standard) for a cohort or century. Each century had a ''signifer'' so there were 59 in a legion. Within each cohort, the first century's ''signifer'' would ...
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Imaginifer
The ''imaginifer'' was one of the '' signiferi'' in a legion in the times of the Roman Empire, who carried the ''imago'' (the image) of the emperor.
The ''imaginifer'' was added to the ranks of the legions when the Imperial cult was first estab ...
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Draconarius
The draconarius was a type of ''signifer'' who bore a cavalry standard known as a ''draco'' in the Roman army.
Name
Strictly speaking, the word ''draconarius'' denotes the bearer of the military standard on which a dragon was represented. The ...
Military ranks of ancient Rome
Ancient Roman titles
History of flags
