"Did "barbarians" display captured Roman standards in battle?" Topic

I'm putting together a command stand for some ancient Germans. I've got the general and his standard bearer. I don't have any extra "barbarian" standards on hand, but I do have a few extra Roman standards including aquila. Would the enemies of Rome display captured Roman standards, or would that just cause confusion on the battlefield?

I can't see why they wouldn't. The barbarians loved their trophies.

-Eli

I think that they carried them back to their shrines. At least, that is where they were found in I Claudius.

Bear in mind that I use Roman heads on a pole for my Barbarian standards, so I have no problem with trophy eagles used in a taunting manner. Put them on the Commander's element.
Confusion? Heck no.

On some of my Barbarian figures, they are using Roman shields instead of their regular shields. Don't see why Roman standards would not be used as trophies to intimidate and aggravate the Roman troops. Remember, the Roman standards were EVERYTHING to the Roman soldiers…

Maybe they'd hang the eagle upside down? (No proof, just a fun option.)

Of course, in that era another culture's gods were often assumed to be as valid (if not the same) as one's own. So they might display it, but if they attach religious significance to it (say, as an idol), they might not deface it as I describe.

You could always go with The Eagle of the Ninth concept and lop off the wings, maybe even add some stag antlers or aurochs horns.

"Quintilius Varus,Where are my Eagles???!!!!" A great moment in I,Clavdivs.Along with "Is there any Senator in Rome who has not slept with my daughter???!!!"Nobody can yell like Brian Blessed.

If you are handy with body putty, I would decorate the Roman standards with flayed skins and/or heads of the vanquished.

That would heighten the "message" to your next Roman opponent.

Cheers,

For my old German army I used a Roman eagle and a Roman generals helmet with a skull inside attached to the top of it, with long ribons trailing from it. Definately got the message across to those Romans. Opposing Roman players actually went all out to "get" the unit that carried that standard. If it works against wargamers i'd be pretty sure it would have worked in real life.

The barbarian commanders' memoirs and unit histories all agree that they DID display captured Roman standards.

Actually, there is a vague reference to Spartacus parading captured fasces …

Not that Spartacus was a German, of course (nor fasces battle standards)…

Wow! Awesome stuff guys! I'm inspired to add on antlers, severed heads and all manner of tribal regalia to the captured standard. Way better than what I had planned. Thanks all! :)

The key point here is that this is not something Romans would depict… but I'd bet it happened!

Captured Eagles ???
You guys must be fantasy gaming.

Caesar

More likely they were wearing lederhosen and drinking beer.

Oh, you said barbarians…never mind.

I bet they were taken back to the sacred grove and kept there, just as European Lace Wars armies took captured standards back to hang in cathedrals.
Emperors were able to get standards back through later victories and diplomacy. That's no likely unless they were kept safe.
They got them back from both Parthians and Germans.
Lastly, it could be very confusing to have an enemy standard in your front line. Given that the standard was used to signal and to tell troops where there line had got to you might inadvertently convince the enemy that they were doing better at pushing forward than their actual advance.
Roy

"Nobody can yell like Brian Blessed"

I CLAUDIUS is wonderful TV but what bizarre casting- Brian who looks like he could sit on a grizzly playing the famously weak-constitutioned Augustus…

Thanks again for all the tips. My barbarian chief decorated his captured standard with some fitting ornaments. :) Ancient generals