Vexillum of the Roman Empire
Description
- The Roman vexillum was a banner hung from a crossbar, typically red or purple with SPQR and an eagle. It was the precursor to modern flags
- Construction: a vexillum (military standard) — a square or vertical banner hung from a crossbar on a pole, typically red or purple with gold embroidered letters 'SPQR' and an eagle motif
Trivia
- Rome had no single national flag — legions used the eagle standard (aquila) but individual units had their own signa
- The aquila (eagle) became the most sacred symbol of Rome, carried into battle
- Loss of the aquila was considered catastrophic dishonour, and recovering lost eagles was a military priority
Vexillum of the Roman Empire
The Roman vexillum was a banner hung from a crossbar, typically red or purple with SPQR and an eagle. It was the precursor to modern flags.
Rome had no single national flag — legions used the eagle standard (aquila) but individual units had their own signa. The aquila (eagle) became the most sacred symbol of Rome, carried into battle. Loss of the aquila was considered catastrophic dishonour, and recovering lost eagles was a military priority.
json:data
{
"g": "h,empire,europe",
"ns": "empires",
"name": "Roman Empire",
"now": "italy",
"years": "27 BC–476 AD",
"id": "roman-empire",
"index": "c/italy:476",
"title": "Vexillum of the Roman Empire",
"ratio": "3:4",
"colors": [
{
"color": "red",
"hex": "#8b0000",
"cmyk": "0/100/100/45",
"note": "The imperial purple-red (purpura) of Rome."
},
{
"color": "gold",
"hex": "#ffd700",
"cmyk": "0/16/100/0"
}
],
"desc": "- The Roman vexillum was a banner hung from a crossbar, typically red or purple with SPQR and an eagle. It was the precursor to modern flags\n - **Construction:** a vexillum (military standard) — a square or vertical banner hung from a crossbar on a pole, typically red or purple with gold embroidered letters 'SPQR' and an eagle motif",
"flag": "empires/roman-empire.svg",
"countryData": {
"name": "Roman Empire",
"officialName": "Roman Empire",
"un": "none"
},
"cs": "empires/roman-empire.cs.svg",
"trivia": "- Rome had no single national flag — legions used the eagle standard (aquila) but individual units had their own signa\n - The aquila (eagle) became the most sacred symbol of Rome, carried into battle\n - Loss of the aquila was considered catastrophic dishonour, and recovering lost eagles was a military priority",
"article": "empires/roman-empire.md",
"_name": "Roman Empire",
"_namespace": "empires",
"_namePart": "roman-empire"
}