The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook

132 The Roman Army
Although Tertullian may be exaggerating, he is right to emphasize the emotional
symbolism of military standards. Probably from the time of Marius, the eagle
represented the continuity and identity of individual legions, and to lose it in
battle was considered a great disgrace. It was made of gold or silver-gilt and
resided in a small chapel in the legionary camp, with the other military standards
(perhaps one for each cohort), and the portraits of the emperor. The standards
were objects of almost religious veneration, and in this shrine men could indeed
seek sanctuary; here too the camp bank was located under the care of the
standard-bearers (Vegetius, 2. 20). The principal festival in honour of the eagle
was the natalis aquilae which celebrated the day on which the legion had been
established. The Feriale Duranum (see text no. 207) mentions the Rosaliae
signorum, which may however be an adaptation of a civil festival to suit a
martial environment.
It is significant that statues and portraits of the imperial family, which were
a prominent feature of camp life, were closely associated with the eagles and
standards. The statue represented the emperor himself, the embodiment of the
loyalty and devotion of the army, and to tear down his portrait was tantamount
to rebellion (see Campbell 1984:96–9).
213 Dio (2nd–3rd C.AD), 40. 18
The so-called eagle refers in fact to a small shrine and in it is placed a
golden eagle. This is established in all the regular legions and is never
moved from winter quarters unless the whole army marches out. One
man carries it on a long pole which tapers to a sharp spike so that it
can be fixed in the ground.
214 Tacitus (1st–2nd C.AD), Annals 2. 17
(Germanicus leads the Roman attack on the Cherusci.) Then a splendid
portent attracted the commander’s attention as eight eagles were
observed to make for the woods and enter them; he shouted that the
army should advance and follow the birds of Rome, the legions’ very
own spirits.
215 Tacitus, Annals 1. 39
(The mutinous German legions attempt to murder the senator, Munatius
Plancus.) In his moment of danger the only place of refuge was the
camp of the first legion. There he grasped the standards and the eagle
and sought safety in the protection of the gods. But if the eagle-bearer
Calpurnius had not defended him from murderous attack, an envoy of
the Roman people, in a Roman military camp, would have stained the