Draconarius

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Military of ancient Rome (portal)
800 BC – AD 476

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The draconarius was a type of signiferi who bore a cavalry standard known as a draco in the Roman army. It is thought to have originated with the Sarmatians and made its way into the Roman armies when Sarmatians and Dacians were used as auxiliaries in the early 2nd century AD. It consisted of a gaping bronze dragon head with a fabric body similar in shape to a short snake behind it. Wind flowed through the bronze dragon mouth and billowed out the cloth tail much like a modern wind-sock. It is thought that some form of whistle was mounted in the dragon's neck in order to make a terrifying noise when galloping.

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