A ''signifer'' () was a

standard bearer A standard-bearer, also known as a flag-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as a ...

of the

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 of ...

s. He carried a ''signum'' (

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

) for a

cohort Cohort or cohortes may refer to: * Cohort (educational group), a group of students working together through the same academic curriculum * Cohort (floating point), a set of different encodings of the same numerical value * Cohort (military unit ...

century A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A centennial or ...

. Each century had a ''signifer'' so there were 59 in a legion. Within each cohort, the first century's ''signifer'' would be the senior one. The ''-fer'' in ''signifer'' comes from ''ferre'', the Latin for "to bear" or "to carry".

Standard-bearer

It had a number of ''phalarae'' (disks or

medallion A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

s) along with a number of other elements mounted on a pole. The pole could be topped with a leaf-shaped spear head or a ''manus'' (open human hand) image denoting the oath of loyalty taken by the soldiers. It sometimes included a representation of a wreath, probably denoting an honour or award. The task of carrying the ''signum'' in battle was dangerous, a soldier had to stand in the first rank and could carry only a small

buckler A buckler (French ''bouclier'' 'shield', from Old French ''bocle, boucle'' 'boss') is a small shield, up to 45 cm (up to 18 in) in diameter, gripped in the fist with a central handle behind the boss. While being used in Europe since an ...

. It was that banner that the men from each individual century would rally around. A soldier could also gain the position of ''discentes signiferorum'', or standard bearer in training. If the signifer was lost in battle, the whole unit was dishonored.

Uniform

Although often depicted as such and adopted in modern re-enactments, signifers do not seem to have covered their helmets with

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 u ...

furs. Archaeological and literary sources indicate that standard bearers wore mostly

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

furs and sometimes

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

furs, and wolf skins are never mentioned.

Banker

In addition to carrying the ''signum'', the ''signifer'' also assumed responsibility for the financial administration of the unit and functioned as the legionaries' banker. The Signifer was also a

Duplicarius Duplarius (plural ''duplares''), ''duplicarius'' or ''dupliciarius'', was an inferior, low-ranking Roman officer, who received double rations or increased payment valuing the 2nd ration based on their valor. As part of cavalry, one decurio, one dupl ...

, paid twice the basic wage.

Roman Republic and Roman Empire

In the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

, the signifer probably applied to all standard bearers, but in the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

, the signifer was just one of a number of types of

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 ...

, which also included

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 ...

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 ...

s, vexillarii and draconarii.

References

Sources