The Aides, or shrine, at the centre of the office block on the far side of the headquarters building
The Aides, or shrine, at the centre of the office block on the far side of the headquarters building, where the regimental standards were preserved and kept on display, Saalburg Roman Fort, Limes Germanicus, Germania (Germany) Photo by Carole Raddato, 2012 via Flickr. (X) Licensed under Creative Commons 2.0. The administrative center of each Roman fort was known as the Principia. The central room of the Principia was the aedes, or regimental shrine, in which the standards and religious images of the unit were kept. The standards, especially the aquila (the eagle symbol of Jupiter Capitolinus), the manus (a hand, symbolizing the sacramentum, the soldier’s oath of service), and the imago (the portrait of the Emperor) were regarded as sacred objects, each possessing their own guardian spirit or genii. Each year, on January 1 (the date was changed to January 3 during the 3rd century C.E.) the soldiers of the Roman Army assembled before the standards of their unit to renew their sacred oath of service: to obey the commands of the Emperor, to never desert the service by flight or fear, and to never leave the ranks except to seek a weapon, strike a foe, or to save a comrade.Today, when many people are making resolutions for 2017, I invite you to think about the importance of the mos maiorum, the virtues most admired by the ancient Romans, in your own life: Fides (trustworthiness and reliability) Pietas (devotion to household and country)Religio (fulfilling obligations to the gods)Disciplina (education, training, and self-control)Gravitas (dignity in adversity)Constantia (perseverance)Virtus (knowing the difference between right and wrong)Dignitas (worthiness, doing the right thing)Auctoritas (public service - including military/public safety, civic service - including holding a political office and informing others of political and social issues, and teaching - including mentoring and volunteering with youth groups). -- source link
#roman army#roman standards#roman polytheism#ancient rome#roman virtues#mos maiorum