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 term passed into
Christianity usage, and was applied to the bearer of the
labarum in battle, and also to cross-bearers in church processions.
Dragon ensign
From the conquered
Dacians, the
Roman Empire in
Trajan's time borrowed the
Dacian Draco which became the standard of the cohort as the eagle was that of the legion. Of
,
Sarmatian in origin, the
draco was later generally introduced in the fourth century as a Roman standard.
It consisted of a bronze dragon head with a fabric body similar in shape to a tail behind it. Wind flowed through the gaping mouth and billowed out the cloth tail much like a modern windsock. It is thought that some form of whistle was mounted in the dragon's neck to make a terrifying noise when galloping.
See also
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