Vexillum

For the gastropod of Costellariidae family, see Vexillum (gastropod).

A modern re-enactor holding a vexillum with a scorpion, the sign of the Praetorians which was used to honor the Emperor Tiberius for building the Praetorian Camp in Rome. Tiberius' Astrological sign was scorpio.
Photo: Associazione Culturale Cisalpina — Cohors III Praetoria

Memorial Stained Glass, Yeo Hall, Chapel, Royal Military College of Canada featuring a Lamb of God carrying a Vexillum

This article is part of the series on: Military of ancient Rome (portal) 753 BC – AD 476
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The vexillum (English pronunciation: /vɛkˈsɪləm/; plural vexilla) was a flag-like object used in the Classical Era of the Roman Empire. The word is itself a diminutive for the Latin word, velum, sail, which confirms the historical evidence (from coins and sculpture) that vexilla were literally "little sails" i.e. flag-like standards. In the vexillum the cloth was draped from a horizontal crossbar suspended from the staff; this is unlike most modern flags in which the 'hoist' of the cloth is attached directly to the vertical staff. The bearer of a vexillum was known as a vexillarius or vexillifer. Just as in the case of the regimental colors or flag of Western regiments, the vexillum was a treasured symbol of the military unit that it represented and it was closely defended in combat.

Nearly all of the present-day regions of Italy preserve the use of vexilla. Many Christian processional banners are in the vexillum form; usually these banners are termed labara (Greek: λάβαρον) after the standard adopted by the first Christian Roman emperor Constantine I which replaced the imperial eagle with the "Chi-Rho" symbol ☧.

The term Vexillum is also used by the Legion of Mary as the term for its standard. A small version is used on the altar and a full size Vexillum leads processions.

See also

• Aquila
• Inquisitor vexillum, a sea snail species
• Vexilla Regis, early Christian hymn whose first line uses this word
• Vexilloid - the concept in general as used in other empires
• Vexillology, or the study of flags, which derives its name from this word
• Vexillum (botany), the large upper petal of a papilionaceous flower
• Vexillum (gastropod), a genus of snails in the family Costellariidae

External links

• Worldwide supplier of Flags and Flagpoles.
• The Cisalpina Historical Reenactment Group Web Site.
• The Roman Hideout
• http://www.redrampant.com/roma/vexillum.html The Roman Vexilla
• http://flagspot.net/flags/xf-etym.html#vex Vexillium