DCHindley

Doesn't Livius.org identify this as a coin "showing a Parthian returning the standards captured at Carrhae in 53 BCE". However, as far as I can tell, neither Legio X Gemina (a legion consolidated by Augustus from Ceasar's Legio X Equestris and another unnamed legion for service in Hispania Tarraconensis after 42 BCE) or the Legio X Fretensis, which was the one that captured the temple and reduced Jerusalem, was involved in the loss of their standards under Crassus in 53 BCE, although the X may have been among the units sent to Parthia to receive back the lost standards from the Parthians in a concession negotiated by Augustus in 19 BCE. On closer inspection, the standard on the coin seems to have a representation of an eagle with outstretched wings, a very common legionary symbol.

Are you suggesting that the x shape came to represent the Roman eagle to Christians, prompting them to adopt rather a † shape?

DCH

stephan huller

If you look at the posts they were made in rapid succession grabbing whatever I could from Google Images. The bottom line for me at least is that the siman looked something like this:



I would like to find an image with a pole with a flag with an X on it. I am fairly certain that the cross was approximating the tenth legions vexillium.

stephan huller

Perhaps like the one on the right:

stephan huller

Apparently someone on a forum wrote this about the vexillium you cited:

stephan huller

Here's something I found for the 13 Legion



You get the general idea

stephan huller

That Ten Legion site and seen a number of vexelliums and standards that would be suitable yet they can't be copied. On another note, I've been spending hours looking at these people who parade around in the Tenth Legion costumes wondering if there are any Jewish members? Somehow I doubt it.



The number of anti-Semites?



Is this the socially acceptable costume for those eggheads who really want to wear an SS uniform? I'm just trying to understand the appeal. Are they eventually going to get a PR department desperate to recruit Jews like the Mormons are to find black converts?

stephan huller

Here we go. Something like this:



The article attached to this tells of a recreation of a battle between the Celts and Legio X. I wonder whether they ever reenact the conquest of Jerusalem and try and find extras who might appear in a Nazi propaganda film and pretend to slaughter and pillage them. Maybe its cathartic.

DCHindley

I searched in vain for an exact representation I was thinking of, but this image hopefully shows an eagle spread out and preparing to grab its prey:



The bottom image would need be reversed, but in the coin the top \/ shape are the outstretched wings, the left side of the bottom /\ shape represents the tail and the right side of the bottom /\ represents the legs and talons outstretched ready to snatch its prey.

Here is another image, facing the right way:



Here's another one, a little different (lower part of V represents tail and head instead of feet):



DCH

DCHindley

I con't seem to confirm the statement that the X legion was the only identified legion lost at Carrhea. Perhaps this is deduced from the apparent X on the flag. However, the biographies of both X Gemina and X Fretensis show no indication of being involved in that Parthian campaign, unless I am missing something. In your link, the discussion suggests that this X legion was one of those "quickie" republican legions raised and disbanded as needed.

Here is what "Pompius," posts at this discussion board on this very topic:

The X Fretensis was not recruited until about 41 BCE.

DCH

stephan huller

Apparently during the Republican period the legions were financed by private donors and then disbanded. They weren't permanent