The Flag of Legion II Augusta on the Bridgeness Distance Slab1 David J Breeze*

Home , Aquila (Roman), Imaginifer, Vexillarius, Vexillatio, Vigiles

Proc SocAntiq Scot, (1989)9 11 , 133-142

The flag of legion II Augusta on the Bridgeness distance slab1 David J Breeze*

ABSTRACT usuallyIts i considered that appearancee th of a vexillu Bridgenessme th (flag) n o distance slabn o theAntonine Wall, the main text of which records the legion at full strength, was in some way erroneous. argueds Ii t here that vexillue th y havemma f each o been e on legion's normal standardss wa d an therefore correctly stone. usedthe on

INTRODUCTION Bridgenese Th s distance slab largese th , t such stone eve havo rt e been Antonine founth n do e Wall unearthes ,wa 186n di 8 (RIB 2139 generalls ; 68), CSIRha iv t .I , I y been presume havo dt e been the eastern terminus slab of the Wall being erected about AD 142. Recent excavations, however, have failed to locate the eastern end of the Antonine Wall at Bridgeness and it has been argued that the report earlf so y antiquarians endeo Wale ,wh dth l further eas Carrident a t correce b y tma , (Bailey& Devereux 1987). This problem does not affect the present discussion. The inscription recording the construction of 4652 paces of the Antonine Wall by soldiers of legio AugustI nI flankeds ai , scenlefta Romaa y b f ,e o n cavalryman riding down four barbarians and, right depictioa y souvetaurilia,e b , th f no rituae th e lth cleansinf o legioe e th On f g. no 2) (illu & s1 figures behind the priest and the altar is holding a vexillum bearing the inscription LEG II AUG. There have been several studies of the stone, one of the most recent detailed treatments appearing in this journal (Philips 1974; useful bibliographies relating to the stone appear in the apparatus in RIB and CSIR). Most discussions have been concerned either with the main inscription and its implications, or the sculpture; most have ignored the problem of the vexillum. This problem is simply expressed: according to conventional wisdom a vexillum should not appear on the stone as the flag was the standard of a detachment of a legion, and this particular legion was present building on the Antonine Wall at full strength, as all the relevant inscriptions confirm. My aim is to argue that it is possible thacorrectls flae th tgwa y stoneplacee th n d.o

LEGIONS ON THE ANTONINE WALL threl Al e British legion recordee sar d buildin Antonine th n go e Wall. Legio VictriI nV x appears distancs it ol nal e slab vexillatioa s sa n (detachment) legiod Valeri,an X nX a Victri vexillatioa s xa n no all but one (presumably a mistake or an omission owing to lack of space on a cramped stone), but

* Historic Buildings and Monuments, 20 Brandon Street, Edinburgh 134 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1989

ILLUS 1 The Bridgeness distance slab. Reproduced by kind permission of the National Museums of Scotland

legion II Augusta is not described as a vexillation on any of its distance slabs (respectively, RIB 2185, 2194,2196,2200 and 2205 2173,2197,2198,2199,2206,220B ;RI Britannia,d 8an (1970)1 , 309-10o ,n legio218e B th ston RI X 4s i ; n X e19 without vexillatio 2139,2186,2193B RI ; it n no , 220 2204)d 3an . threl Al e legions, where compariso possibles ni recordee ar , buildins da same gth e lengt Walf ho g l(e 3666 '/2 paces; 3000 ft, 4141 ft). It might thus be argued that legion II was present on the Antonine Wall same atth e strengt sistes it s hra legions reasoe , buton r anotherr no ,fo , preferre refeo dt itselo rt s a f legio rather than vexlllatio, vexillume th indicating tha realitn ti y onl detachmenya legioe th s f tno wa servin Walle th n g.o Referenc detachmento et legionvexillationt s sa no d san s seem occuo st r froe mth tim Marcuf eo s (161-80) attestet no s i reig e t earls da th , bu Antoninuf s nyo a s Piu12.1.E s(R 1305-6). Further, it has been suggested that one group of soldiers from legion II Augusta similar in size to the detachments of the other two legions constructed the rampart and ditch, thus accounting for the identical building lengths, whil e remaindeth e e legioth f no r operated elsewhere, buildinr gfo example the fort at Balmuildy, which has produced a legion II building stone (RIB 2191; Breeze & Dobson 1987, 110). Finally t mighi , expectee b t d tha threl al t e legion ssame woulth e termidus - nological rules. Thus, the most straightforward assumption is that legion II was not represented on Antonine th e Waldetachmenta y b l presens wa t t full a tr nearlbu , o , y full, strength.

EARLIER COMMENTARIES The problem was noted by earlier commentators. Gibb (1901, 23) stated: from this [the appearance of the standard] we infer that the legion had not brought with it the eagle as its standard, and that therefore the whole legion was not present, but only a detachment or vexillation. Haverfiel yearw fe sda late r considere problee dth t mgreatea r length (1912, 128-30)e H . argued that onl vexillatioya presenlegiof s nAntonino e wa th I nn I to e Wall pointee .H that dou t some inscriptions fro Wale mrecord th di l dvexillatioa legiof no I AugustanI , thoug t h'ii s possible and, indeed evente vien th i , f wAf o s o D 158-162 t absolutel,no y impossible' that thesa n o e p 'weru t ese campaign different in time from that devoted to the building of the Wall'. He also pointed out that difficuls i ti wha e se to t thappene secone th o dt d legion's fortres Caerleot sa whole th nf i e force were drafte Scotlando t t merelr thref o no dof o d e ytw thousanan , d men t seemI . s best, thereforeo t , conclude that the use of the plain title LEG IIAUG was a habit of the stone-cutters attached to that corps, and does not imply that the legion was present as a whole at the building of the Wall.

136 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1989

The only subsequent comment which I have been able to discover is by Professor J C Mann, who has recently suggested that the appearance of the vexillum on the stone 'is merely artistic licence ignorancer o - ' (Mann 1986,192. 2) n ,

VEXILLUME TH vexillume usualls flagTh a wa s t I .squary a wa nearlr e(o y square) cloth whic huns hwa g froma transvers whicebar turattachehin nwas verticaa dto l pole clot ofte.The h was n squaraboucm t50 e and red in colour being decorated, usually in gold. There were usually tassels along the bottom, and tassels often hung frocros e ende mth th f s s o exampl bare e th clot On .e n i th hf w e o survive no s i d san Pushkin Museu Moscon i f Finm t o eAr w (Rostovtzeff 1942). This acquiredswa thereford an , e presumably found, in Egypt. A painting of a vexillarius carrying a flag was executed on a wall in the city of Dura Europos, where cohors XX Palmyrenorum milliaria equitata was stationed in the first half of the third century (Rostovtzeff 1942, pi V). Many other depictions ofvexilla appear on military sculpture throughout the Roman empire (the British examples can be consulted in the pages of the various fascicule f CSIRso I). The flag was a standard of great antiquity in the Roman state (cf Domaszewski 1885, 24-8, 76-80; Rostovtzeff 1942; RE 8. A.2446-2454). It had several uses. A red flag was hung on a general's tensig a marc r s nta fo battlr ho e (Macrobius, Saturn 1,16 Caesarf ;c , Civil War, 20), emperoe 2 .Th r flan gow seem (Rostovtzefs hi havo st d eha f 1942, 93). Flags migh usee b t religious da s banners (Rostovtzeff 1942,97-105). Flags were also used as standards by military units (eg Caesar, Gallic War 6, 36), and as a military decoration (Maxfield 1981,82-4). It was a military standard that came to be adopte specias hi s da l Christian banne Emperoe th y rb r Constantine afte victors battle hi r th t f yea o Milvian Bridge in 312, and it remains to this day a banner in everyday use by the Church. (By a delightful coincidence ther alss ei Edinburghn oi Palace th n Holyroodhousef i ,e o tapestra , y woven between 166 167d 0an 0 depicting Constantine's visiocrose th f sn o befor battlee eth ,righ e withth tn ,o hand side, a soldier holding a vexillum in his left hand and the bridle of the emperor's horse in his right: illu : Swais3 n 1988, 38-9.) vexillume Th attestes i militara s da y standard fro lase mth t Republice yearth f so t usuallI . y appear havo st e been use connection di n wit speciaha l grou completa t menf po no e ,i e legiona t ,bu detachmen r anotheo t r special forc Saxef e(c r 1967) t camprimarile I . b o et y associated t leasa , n i t modern eyes, with the vexillation or detachment, but in the first century AD it served as the standard of a variety of special groups of soldiers. These included the vexillum veteranorum, the group of old soldier eacn si servehd legioha o d retiret novewh yearye 0 t r2 dno s (Keppiservicd ha t ebu e 1973). Old soldiers serving sub vexillo are recorded by Tacitus (Annals, 1,36; 3,21; 14, 34). References to other special groups operating unde vexillumra appear elsewher Tacitun ei alsd Caesarsn oan i n I . one passage in The Gallic War (6,36) convalescing soldiers marched under a vexillum, and in another (6, 40) veterans marched out of camp together under a flag. Tacitus refers to a vexillum tironum, a bod recruityof s (Annals, 78) 2, aquila the , (eagles fou)of r vexillalegionthe s and of other legions (Histories, 2, 89), and elsewhere to vexilla (detachments) of legions (Histories, 2,100). Auxiliaries also could operate unde flara g (Tacitus, Histories, , 70)1 . Modern commentators usually associat vexillume eth with cavalry certainls i t I . y carriey db cavalryme Trajan'n no s Column Colume base th th f , e o f Antoninu no e Columsth Piud f an sno Marcus Aurelius, and is frequently linked with cavalry officers on inscriptions (cf Webster 1986,106). Examination of the epigraphic sources, however, reveals that the bearer of the vexillum, the vexillarius, attestes i numbea n di armf ro y units, both cavalr infantryd yan . Thes listee ear d below: BREEZE: THE FLAG OF LEGION n AUGUSTA ON THE BRIDGENESS DISTANCE SLAB I 137

_13iTS^ '*:?.,;'afe^- «! si>,^.^ t: ' *•». «'• M-i" 1"*' Iv, l *j'& *' , ...i• t E- -t —•-J, - - ,* ILLUS 3 Tapestr Palace th n yHolyroodhousf i e o e depictin Emperoe gth r Constantine befor battle eth f Milviaeo n Bridge vexillume righte th :th o .t Reproduces i kiny db d permissio Graces Hi Dukf e no th , f Hamiltoeo n

Praetorian guard: her vexillariuse eth replace signifer e careee sth th cavalryman a n f i ro L CI f C . VI 32709a=37191=/L5 9190 (Rome): . . . optio equitum, vexillarius equitum, fisci curator, evo- catus, centurlo. Vigiles (the fire brigad Rome)n ei : vexillarius infantre th s i y equivalen signiferf to othen i r units (Domaszewski 1967, 10-11, 15). Cf CIL IX 1438=/LS 2166 (Pisa). Legions: the post is associated with cavalry on inscriptions. Cf CIL III 4061 (Poetovio), dating t mucno h late rRufius. C tha : OufMedf n70 C XXXVIslipn a milefs]m XIIIg Ge le XVIfratreposs h soldiee c;th r hold vexillumsa containin inscriptione gth eqitaex VIII2562+L ve : CI W Heidelb., 9 / (Lambaesis)0 15 , date I [Aug]222-235o dt H g le ..q e : lisa . t follows including vex,:2 , k less,g ma hast, cur sco. CIL VIII16549 (Theveste): Sex. Valerius Attcinus vexillarius eq leg III Aug. AE 1957, 341 with Speidel 1984,185 (Montana)5 ,n : DianaeReginae Aurel Titus vexilleq leglltal Gordianae Au [ag] reg mont. . . CIL XIII6948 (Mainz): Leg XVIeq[ ]xsillaran[ JVstipXV. C/LV 899 with Pai(Grado2 7 stombston e o 1884n th s ,) i veteraa f Flaviaeo V I f ninscriptioe o ;th flankes ni o tw y db soldiers, each holding a vexillum. Auxilia: the post is attested in four out of the six different types of auxiliary units and in the | SOCIET 8 13 ANTIQUARIEF YO S OF SCOTLAND, 1989

equites singulares Augusti (the emperor's horseguards): ala CILf I 4576c : II ; 4834; 11081. cohors milliaria equitata :knowe mosth f o tn reference thio t s s post appea rostere th n f i r so cohor PalmyrenoruX sX 222d man DurP : xxii 0 9 datin, xxxi 10 a, 21 12 xxxvi 21 o , igt 18 i xxxviii 23, xxxxix 9, 13, 16; 101 xviii 19, xxxviii 8, xl 9, 19, xliii 3. In two cases the title is (century)7 indicaten i x ve Dur P :s xvii 1 da , xxxviie pos a10 19 i Th t . als8 i o appearP n si Dura 96 a 3. cohors quingenaria equitata I 2012II L ; 8762CI : ; 9739 1957E ;A , 193. cohors quingenaria (it is not clear whether these examples definitely refer to peditate cohorts): CI 4896LV E 1964;A , 243XIIL CI ; I 7705 with Zangemeister (Brohl)6 20 i Westdxi :, Z . . . Gemellus im[a]ginifcoh [II]II Asturum p D et vexil coh eiusdem. equites singulares Augusti I 2263V L ; 3203CI : ; 3239; 3253 Speidef (C . l 1965, 38-40). numeri XIIL CI : I 7753 (Niederbieber) date 246o dedicatioda t s i , vexillariusa y nb n a d an imaginifer to the genius of vexillarii and imaginiferi. The imago was one of the standards of the unit and thus the vexillum may also have been a unit standard. Cf CIL XIII 7754; AE 1897, 147. Veterans 4903V L : CI thi: s vexillarius veteranorum usualls i y presume havo dt e beee nth standard beare groue th f veteranf rpo o s (Keppie impossiblt 1973,12)no s i t i t merels e,bu thawa e yth a member of the vexillum veteranorum. cleas i t I r tha vexillume tth use s varieti a n di capacitiesf yo oftes i t .I n associated with cavalrs y(a praetoriae inth nlegions)e guarth als s i d t odan connectebu , d with infantry (vigile Romen si e th , cohor Durat ta probabld an , numerus)a n yi standar e appeart I . th numeruse e e th b on f n o dsi t o t ,bu vigiles was the standard of a sub-division of the unit, the century. In some units ther mors ewa e tha vexillarius.e non There wer vexillariio etw Lambaesit a s (there must hav elegion i bee o nItalicI tw outpostes a whewa e n on Montana o dt 1957E :A , 341 Speidef ;c l 1984,167, n 21); at least five in cohors XX Palmyrenorum in 219 and seven in the same unit in 222; at numerue th n i leas o t Niederbiebesa nametw t4 college 1 th e f ands6 o th f baioli eo s 24 d a , n an i r vexillarii group o listee tw ar n sevenf di so , possibl mans ya seves ya n (CIL XIII 7754).

THE LEGIONS legione th n inscriptionsn I o , vexillariuse th , associates i d with cavalr evern yi 0 y 12 case e Th . legionary cavalry do not seem to have been organized into turmae, but were carried on the books of the centuries (Breeze 1969). The vexillarius equitum seems to have been an officer associated with that group of soldiers (cf Speidel 1986, 165-7). It is not impossible that the flag on the Bridgeness distanc evexillume sla th legionare s bi th f o y cavalry soldiee th , r holdin standare gth d being dis- mounted for the ceremony. However, this group of men was only 120 strong and there seems to be no reaso shoult i y speciallne dwh b y represente possiblt stonno e s i th t dran eo ed(i t o w connectioa n with the cavalryman riding down the barbarians in the left-hand panel of the distance slab, as this was a regular scen Roman ei n military iconography) mors i t .I e likely tha standare t th unie th tf dwoulo e db represente stone th n edo rather tha sub-divisioflaa e f nth go legione th flae f no g.Th ought therefore to be the standard of the whole legion. It could be argued that the vexillum on the Bridgeness distance slab was the standard of the vexillum veteranorum, soldiere th s retained wit coloure hth s afte completioe th r year0 2 f nso service. There is, however, no definite evidence for the continuing existence of this group of soldiers after 69, and Keppie (1973 ) argue16 , s tha t disappearei t arme th yn di reform Vespasianf so . ProfessoC J r Mann, however suggestes ,ha thahavt e m no t eo dthiy t bee scasema e nth . Veterans with less tha5 n2 years service are known after the time of Vespasian. Two appear on laterculi veteranorum (AE 1925, BREEZE: THE FLAG OF LEGION n AUGUSTA ON THE BRIDGENESS DISTANCE SLAB 139

109, datin 160go t ; VIII 2744=18272, datin 176o gt Fornf ;c i 1953,143-4 also o,wh notes eight other veterans with less tha year5 n2 s service). Man suggestes nha thae m t dwhilo t e man stayen r fo y me n do 25 years r eveo , n mor s Forni'e(a s tables demonstrate), neverthelesthey yma s have retaineda theoretical right to discharge after 20 years if they so wished. A law of Caracalla, dating to 212-217 (Cod Just 12.35.2), addresse militibuso dt cohortis primae (presumabl firse yth t cohor legiona f o t ) confirms that those who had served 20 years were exempt from sordida munera militiae. This is similar language to the statement of Tacitus (Annals 1.36) about the freedom from the general fatigues the soldiers kept on after 16 years service in AD 14. Two laws (Cod Justl. 64.9 and 10.55.3) of the time of Diocletian and Maximian (286-305) refer to honesta missio, honourable discharge, for those who had served in a legion or a vexillatio equitum, after 20 years. The Brigetio Table (AE 1937, 232), datin 311o gt , demonstrates that honesta missio obtaines wa d afte year0 2 r s service whilt Bu . e Mann may be correct in his assertion that discharge was theoretically possible after 20 years, there remains evidenco n vexillume th r efo veteranorum afte time th Vespasianrf eo thu d possibls i an ,t s i e thae tth formatio disbandes nwa Keppis da e argues continues It . d existence, however lac e spitn f i ,th k o f eo later evidence, must remai possibilityna vexillume t eveth Ye .f n i veteranorum continued ha n di existence, its appearance on the Bridgeness distance slab, represented by its flag, is still problemat- ical soldiers A . s exempt from fatigues witn hme , ove year0 r2 s service woul t havdno e taken parn i t buildine th Antonine th f go e Wall thet ,bu y could have been involve fightingy an questioe n di Th . n is: would they have then appeared in the suovetaurilia scene on the building stone? This is impossible to answer, and it may be safer to place the whole matter of the representation of the vexillum veteranorum, if it still existed at this time, to one side. e vexillumTh appears frequentl Trajan'n o y s Column, carrie soldiery db e th st (illuA . 4) s beginnin Colume th f go ngroua legionarief po s crossin signao tw gbridga y (centurb d boatf ele o e syar standards) vexillumeagla n ,a d ean (IV=14 CVI=28f ;c columa r 3fo legionarief no asignum,y b d sle vexillum and eagle), while the praetorians are led by three signa and a vexillum. A little later on, two soldiers appear each carryin gvexilluma eacand h leadin horsga e (VI=20). There no seem be sto reaso assumo nt e thasoldiee th t r bearin vexillume dismountea gfirs th e e th b t n o scent o s eha d cavalryman (pace Webster 1986 perfectle , b 106) o t t seeme I . ym possiblo st thir efo s soldiee b o rt standarde carryinth f legione o th e vexillume f sgo on Th . appears elsewher Trajan'n eo s Column i situations which are not explicitly associated with cavalry. These include a scene where two signa, an eagle and a vexillum appear together in a camp (VIII=24), and others where the flag is with two signa (XL=103; LI=127; LIV=136; CII=269 with three signa). possibls i t I e tha artiste tth s intended these vexilla to represent cavalry, but that is not necessarily the case. e monumenth n O t Adamklissa t Romanin i i a vexillum appears associated with cavalry (metope III on the numbering of Florescu 1965), but more frequently held by infantry (X and XXIX: in each case two vexillarii stand flanking a standard-bearer, all in mail; XLV shows two vexillarii in field servic t sid eki sidey b e , interprete Richmony db d s representin1967a 6 3 , g vexillationf o s legionaries and praetorians). The vexillum appears often on the Column of Marcus held by infantry, this a st emperor'bu s armies were compose legionarf do y vexillation passinm a sI g over this evidence. It may be noted, however, that there is no hint of any connection of M Aurelius Sossius, veteran of legio FlaviaV nI , whose tombston flankes ei eacn do h vexillarius,sida y eb with cavalry9 (CIL89 V with Pai Franzonf c s; 188472 o in , 1988, 20-21). maie Th n standard legioe th wele f sno ar l known eagle th , e (aquila), imagemperoe e th th f eo r (imago) and the legion's emblem or totem animal (cf Trajan's Column IV=14). The vexillum could have served as another standard. Tacitus (Annals, 1, 38) may be referring to such a standard when describing the events of the mutiny of 14, when it was agreed that soldiers with over 16 years service should be retained sub vexillo but it is also possible that he is using the word vexillum to mean I SOCIET 0 14 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1989

ILLUS 4 Standards on Trajan's Column, a, a flag is one of three standards behind the Emperor Trajan, who stands with his soldiers befor forea t (Scene LI=127/8) soldier, ;b legiof so legion'e nMinervI th y b sd animaale l totema , standardo ram tw eagls centurie e it ,d th ean f so s (Scene XLVIII=122; Leppe Frerd an r e 1988, 98). Photo- graphs: A Lamb

legionary standards generally considerinn i r fo , e (Histories, h e yea ge th ) 8 refer 6 rth 41 o , t s1 vexillarlus of the cohort, but the vexillum had on it Galba's portrait and, while the terminology may have been correct (Webster 1986possibls i t e imagoi , , th 105 2) s e n ,tha wa beinthas t i t wa t g discussed shortn .I usuals ,a cannoe ,w certaie tb n that Tacitu usins si g military terminology correctly. When there was a requirement for a special detachment, that body of men would have to march behin standarda d (Professor Speide thae detachmene m l th tpoint o t t havy sou ma et requireda standard to indicate the position of the commanding officer in battle rather than stand for the legion as such). The standard of a detachment obviously could not be either the eagle or the legion's emblem as these were directly relevan legioe woulth d o nt an d remain wit parene hth t body imago,e Th . n o othee th r handstandara s ,wa d more relevan emperoe th o t r tha particulay nan r grou menf po e Th . vexillum, however, was a wholly neutral standard and thus it may be for that reason that it came to be chose standare th s nspeciaa a f do l grou thu s menf po wa s t tha i ;vexillum e th t gav name s eit th o et detachment, the vexillatio. BREEZE: THE FLAG OF LEGION n AUGUSTA ON THE BRIDGENESS DISTANCE SLAB | 141

e vexillum furthee Th on hav y d rma e ha advantag standarda s ea availabls flae th :gwa a r efo message. This might be Victory, as on the Egyptian vexillum, or the emperor's name, but it could be the name of the unit, as in so many inscriptions (cf CSIR). This could be useful for distinguishing the different elements in a task force made up of groups from various units. Thus suggestes i t i , d tha vexillume tth chose s standare wa th s na speciaf do l group soldierf so s becausneutraa s wa t lei symbol. Therbasie on cs ei fla thin wi s suggestion. Thi thas si pos o n tf o t vexillarius in connection with legionary infantry has been recorded on inscriptions. To balance this lac epigraphif ko c evidence, ther , thougheis appearance th , vexillariuse th f eo amon legionare gth y standard bearer Trajan'n so s Colum legionare th d nan Bridgenese y th fla n go s distance slab role e.Th of the vexillum as one of the legionary standards together with the eagle, imago and legionary totem would explain the appearance of the vexillum on the distance slab: the vexillum would not have been carved in error.

VEXILLARII DURT A A If the above suggestion is correct, there may have been not just one vexillarius (or two as is attested in the legions), but several, so that soldiers would be available to service not only the parent body but also however many detachments were in being at any one time. This might help to account pluralitfoe rth vexillariif yo cohore th Palmyrenorun X i sX mDurt a a Europos. These soldiert no d sdi serv corpa s e a protec o st flae gtth (Webster 1986,108) 'reservee th s a t ', bu vexillarii. This explanation admittedly wilvexillariiexplait o lno tw e centurfaca e nth n th i t r tha yleast no ta t vexillariithree th f eo of 219 no longer held the post in 222, but nor will any other suggestion. The editors of the papyri proposed temporara tha pose s th t wa t (Wellee yon alt se 1959, 33) Keppir D . suggestes eha e m o dt that soldiers were created vexillarii only when a detachment was required. The difficulty I have in accepting this suggestio tha s nvexillariusi e tth promotea s wa d post helsoldiea y db r wit statue hth f so aprincipalis receiving double pay (Breeze 1971): it seems unlikely that soldiers would be temporarily promote suco dt rankha .

CONCLUSION It is suggested that the vexillum was chosen from amongst the military standards to head detachments because it was more neutral than the eagle, imago or legionary emblem. The name for suc detachmenha t seem havo st e been vexillum camt vexillatio;firsti t e a t b o ebu ,t name thus th eswa derived from the standard. At the same time the vexillum may have continued in use as a legionary standard thid s,an might accoun regulas it r tfo r appearanc Trajan'n eo s Column thers .A e might have been more tha detachmene non t fro munia t timeoperatine on might ,i y an expectee t gtb a d that each unit would carr ynumbea f vexillariio r books it n thao o s t each vexillation couln d havow s eit vexillum. This might account for the multiplicity of vexillarii in cohors XX Palmyrenorum, though it must be admitted that no explanation is wholly satisfactory for either the peculiarity of the position of the vexillarii in this unit, or the lack of vexillarii attested epigraphically in the legions (other than in connection with cavalry s opposea ) o sculpturallydt e abovth f I e. argument thae vexillumth t remained one of the legionary standards, seeing duty with the main body of the legion as well as with vexillations, is accepted, then the vexillum was correctly used on the Bridgeness distance slab.

NOTE 1 This pape bases ri d upo lecturna e delivere Anniversare th t da y Meetin Novembe0 3 n go r 1988. 2 14 SOCIET ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1989

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS pleasem a I acknowledgo dt stimulatioe eth thir nfo s paper provide Grahar D y db m Webster's article on 'Standards and Standard-bearers in the Alae'. I would like to thank Mr G Bailey, Dr B DobsonKeppieF J L r ,D , Professo ManC Professod rJ nan SpeiderM readinr lfo g earlier draftf so this paper: their helpful comments have been gratefully incorporated into the published article, though this does not imply that any or all of them concur with the conclusions offered here.

ABBREVIATIONS AE I'Annee Epigraphique. CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum. CSIR Corpus Sculpturum Imperil Romanorum. ILS Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae. RE Real Encyclopaedia. RIB Roman Inscriptions of Britain.

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