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Legio V Alaudae and the crested lark
M.C. Bishop Suetonius tells us1 that legio V Alaudae was raised This point would only be of passing interest, if it were by Caesar in Gallia Transalpina, probably in 52 B.C. not for the fact that it has something to tell us about the from local levies, and that it took its cognomen from use of helmet-crests in the Roman army. 9 The helmetthe Gallic word for a lark (alauda as opposed to the crest was an important element of Roman military attire, Latin galerita).2 The legionary name is in fact a plural signifying signifying status status10 and and also also playin playingg a psycho psycholog logica icall 11 (‘The Larks’) and has been taken by modern authorities role. There were a variety of ways of attaching crests or to be derived from the fact that the helmetcrest worn by plumes to helmets in the army of the late Republic and these men resembled the head-plumage of the crested early Imperial period.12 One method was to have a centlark (Galerida cristata; Fig.1,1). This identification is ral mounting point at the top of the bowl of the helmet, based upon a passage in Pliny the Elder s Historia Nat- often with fixing rings at the front and back to secure a uralis where, describing various types of crests in bird crest box (Fig.1,3). 13 Crest boxes could be attached to plumage, plumage, he refers to the naming of the legion after this crest crest-kn -knobs obs which which were were actu actually ally part part of the helme helmett14 particular bird.3 (Fig.1,4) or to forked crest-holders. 15 Many helmets also Examination of Pliny’s text reveals, however, that display socalled plume-tubes,16 designed to hold side this description is normally taken out of context, for he plumes. Such side plumes can be seen being worn, toactually says that the alauda has ‘horns’ (cornicula) gether with a central crest, on the tombstones of C. like those of a pheasant 4 – in other words, small tufts Castricius (of legio II Adiutrix) from Aquincum17 and and on either side of the bird s head. The crested lark, on Flavinus the signifer (Fig.1,5) of the ala Petriana (now the other hand, has only a central erect crest and so in Hexham Abbey). 18 cannot be identified with the alauda.5 It seems likely Robinson has pointed out that side feathers were that the bird intended is in fact most likely to be the fashionable in Italy as early as the 4th century male shore (or horned) lark ( Eremophila Eremophila alpestris; B.C.,19 but they are not normally found on MonteFig.1,2), a species of lark that possesses these charac- fortino helmets and may not have been widely used teristic tufts on the head. 6 Whilst no weight should be by the late Republican army. 20 In a famous passage, placed upon it, the present-day distribution of these Caesar talks of his men not having enough time to species is interesting: the crested lark is now wide- affix affix their their insignia befor beforee battl battle, e, and and this this has has 21 spread in Europe, the Near East and North Africa, Africa, but sometim sometimes es been been taken taken to mean mean crests, crests, and we the shore lark winters in a small area around the north- might now suggest further that legio V earned its ern coasts of Europe, is a summer visitor in northern cognomen from the fact that its men wore only Scandinavia, and is resident in the Balkans and the side-plumes, side-plumes, thus resembling resembling the shore lark, which 7 Near East. Even if the relative distributions were only we have have now identif identified ied with Sueto Suetonius nius and the the approximately similar in Caesar s time, then we might Elder Pliny’s alauda . reasonably expect the crested lark to be familiar to the Thus one legion at least was distinguished from its Romans from Italy, and thus not particularly ‘Gallic’ fellows by a characteristic arrangement of its crests; it in its associations. However, the rarer shore lark might seems only logical to conclude that others may well only have been encountered by Caesar’s men in Gaul have chosen to display their identity in some way. for the first time; characteristically a lark by its song, There There is a sugges suggestio tionn in Tacitu acitus’ s’ Historiae that but very different in appearance from their native cres- shields bore marks that helped identify units, and ted lark.8 By 52 B.C., Caesar had been to Britain and excavat excavations ions in the Schutthü Schutthügel gel at Vindonissa indonissa rehad campaigned in northern Gaul and may, therefore, covered leather shield covers with small ansate panhave had the opportunity to see this bird. els naming the legion to which they belonged ( XI
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Fig. Fig. 1: 1 – The crested lark ( Galerita Galerita cristata ) (after HAMMOND & EVERETT, 1980); 2 – the shore lark ( Eremophila Eremophila alpestris ) ) (after ibid.); 3 – Imperial-Gallic type F helmet from Besançon, showing crest attachments (C) and plume tubes (P)
(after ROBINSON, 1975); 4 – Montefortino type E helmet from Mainz showing crest attachments (C) and plume tube (P) (after ibid.); 5 – detail of the tombstone of Flavinus at Hexham, showing central crest with two plumes on one side of the helmet. Not to scale.
Claudia).22 Josephus implies that troops did not nor-
mally remove the protective covers from their equipment ment when when in battle battle,, contra contradic dictin tingg the impres impressio sionn given by Caesar, who says it was normal practice for legionaries to remove their shield covers and affix their insignia .23 Obviously, there were clear advantages in a commander being able to distinguish a unit when engaged in the field, and crests and shields
would be two of the most easily discerned indicators; indeed Vegetius says as much: ‘In case the soldiers should become separated from their comrades at any time in the confusion of battle, each cohort cohort painte paintedd a differ different ent emblem emblem – digmata, as they called them – on its shield, as indeed is still the custom. In addition, the name of the soldier was written on the front of the shield, together with his cohort and century.’24
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Fig. 2: Hypo Hypoth thet etic ical al reco recons nstr truc ucti tion on of the the cres crestin ting g insignia?) of legio V Alaudae , employing a plume on either ( insignia side of the helmet in imitation of the shore lark.
Thus the insignia of a legion – those things which distinguished it from its fellows – appear to have included the helmet crests. The question of whether crests were worn in battle is, however, however, vexed; Polybius and Caesar certainly imply that they were, but Tra jan’s Column and the Mainz column bases would ap pea pearr to sugg sugges estt the the oppo opposit site, e, unle unless ss ther theree was was a change in practice between the Republic and early Empire.25 Status and display were two very closely linked functions of the helmet-crest,26 and identification was linked to both of these. It would seem that we may now conclude that the cognomen ‘The Larks’ was a powerful piece of imagery and clearly more than just a playful nickname for Caesar’s legio V . NOTES
1.
SUET SUETON ONIU IUS, S, Div Div. Iul. 24. 24. I am grate grateful ful to Mart Martha ha AnAndrews and Dr J.C.N. Coulston for reading draft copies of this paper, and Drs H. Dodge and A.J. Parker for help obtaining references. All errors naturally remain my own responsibility.
2. Ad legiones, quas a republica acceperat, alias priuato
3. 4. 5.
sum sumpt ptu u addid addidit it,, unam unam etia etiam m ex Trans ransal alpi pini niss concon scr script iptam am,, uoca uocabu bulo lo quoq quoque ue Gall Gallic ico o Alau Alauda da enim enim apellabatur, apellabatur, quam disciplina cultuque romano institutam et ornatam postea uniuersam ciuitate donauit. XI,121: phasian phasianae ae corniculi corniculis, s, praeter praeterea ea paruae paruae aui, quae, ab illo galerita appellata quondam, postea Gallico uocabulo etiam legioni nomen dederat alaudae. HEINZEL et al., 1979, 106–7 (with figure). ., 204–5 (with figure). Ibid .,
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6. Ibid .,., 198–9 (with figure). 7. Ibid .,., 198. Only the skylark ( Alauda Alauda arvensis) appears in the survey of wild birds from Roman Britain published in PARKER, 1988. 8. For For its son songg and and appea appearan rance ce,, see see HEIN HEINZE ZEL L et al., 1979, 198. 9. Cf. Cf. ROB ROBIN INSO SON, N, 1975 1975,, 140 140–3 –3.. 10. VEGETIU TIUS Epit. rei mil . II,13; 16. 11. POL POLYBIU YBIUS S VI,2 VI,23. 3. 12. ROBIN ROBINSON SON,, 1975, 1975, Figs.14 Figs.141–6 1–6.. 13. Ibid .,., 140. 14. Ibid .,., Figs.141–3. 15. Ibid .,., Figs.62–74. 16. Ibid .,., Fig.81. Cf. Figs.27, 42–3, 45, 49. 17. Ibid .,., Pl.470. 18. SCHLEI SCHLEIERM ERMACH ACHER, ER, 1984 1984,, 191–2. 191–2. 19. 19. ROBI ROBINS NSON ON,, 1975 1975,, 141. 141. 20. Loc. Cit. 21. CAESAR Bell. Bell. Gall . II,21. Cf. WEBSTER, 1985, 126. Certainly, one can read the passage with the sense that they did not have time to put on their helmets, let alone their crests. 22. TACITU ITUS Hist. III,23, where soldiers pick up shields belonging to an opposing legion and thereby conceal their true identity. For ansate panels on leather from Vindonissa, see GANSSER-BURCKHARDT, 1942, Abb.60–1 & 70–1. On a shield cover from the Bonner Berg, an appliqué patch bore a depiction of Minerva above the legend LEG I MPF MPF (VAN (VAN DRIEL-M DRIEL-MUR URRA RAY Y & GECHTE GECHTER, R, 1983, 35–6, Taf.7,137. 23. TACITU ITUS Hist. II,68 says legionaries were distinguished from praetorians by their insignia, although he does not make it clear whether this was from the type of crest, or simply simply its presenc presencee or absenc absence; e; certainl certainlyy, praetori praetorians ans seem to be indicated on Trajan’s Column by the wearing of crests. 24. 24. Prote Protecti ctive ve covers: covers: JOSEPH JOSEPHUS US Bell. Iud. V,350; digmata: VEGETIUS Epitoma rei militaris II,18. A possible example of digmata may be the lion painted on the Dura rectang rectangular ular shield, shield, perhaps perhaps the emblem emblem of legio XVI (BISHOP, 1990, 24). Flavia Firma (BISHOP, 25. 25. Scen Scenee XL on the column column,, for exampl example. e. Mainz Mainz column column bases: ROBINSON, 1975, Pls.196–7 and 199. 26. It has been been sugge suggest sted ed – MAXF MAXFIE IELD LD,, 1981 1981,, 99 – that that the form of dona militaria known as the corniculum may have been some form of helmet decoration. Vegetius makes the point (II,13) that soldiers followed their centurion’s crest in much the same way as they followed their standard. BIBLIOGRAPHY
BISHOP, BISHOP, M.C. 1990: ‘On parade: status, display, display, and morale in the Roman army’, in H. Vetters & M. Kandler (eds.), Akten des 14. internation internationalen alen Limeskong Limeskongres resses ses 1986 in Der römisc römische he Limes Limes in Österr Österreic eichh 36, Carnuntum, Der
(Wien 1990), 21–30 VAN DRIEL-MURRAY, C. & GECHTER, M. 1983: ‘Funde aus der Fabrica der Legio I Minervia am Bonner Berg’, in Rheinische Ausgrabungen 23. Beiträge Beiträge zur Archäologie des römischen Rheinlands IV, 1983, 1–83 GANSSER-BURCKHARDT, A. 1942: Das Leder und seine Verarbeitung im römischen Legionslager Vindonissa,
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(Basel 1942) HAMMOND, HAMMOND, N. & EVERETT, M. 1980: Birds of Britain and Europe, (London 1980) HEINZEL, R., FITTER, J., & PARSLOW 1979: The Birds of Britain and Europe with North Africa and the Middle East , ed.4, (London 1979) MAXFIELD, V.A. V.A. 1981: The Military Decorations of the Roman Army, (London 1981) PARKER, A.J. 1988: ‘The birds of Roman Britain’, Oxford Journal of Archaeology 7, 1988, 197–226 ROBINSON, H.R. 1975: The Armour of Imperial Rome, (Lon-
don 1975) SCHLEIERMACHER, M. 1984: Römische Reitergrabsteine, (Bonn 1984) WEBSTER, G. 1985: The Roman Imperial Army of the First and Second Centuries A.D. Ed.3, (London 1985)
