"Romani Victores"
Speaking of small town heat around the country getting powerful Army surplus. Apparently a New Jersey Roman Legion re-enactors club was given vintage jeeps, and trucks with mounted .50 cal machine guns. Seems the Army surplus guys thought they were the town police. The Legionnaires really like them! They later requested vintage "Sherman's" or "Patton's" that the Feds might want to unload. Heck wouldn't mind one of these myself.
Why is the commander pointing a dowsing rod at the target? Does he hope to get water from it, or is this a superior aiming device that a modern mounted machine gun can't hope to match?
ReplyDeleteZ
Well yes, and no.
ReplyDeleteCould be a personal dowsing rod.
However such was an unofficial badge of office in some not all Roman Legions. A Roman commander. An equivalent of a captain or major of the modern era. These held when in the field a short staff.
Much as Armies in the British Commonwealth still use. Those rods or swagger sticks that Brit officers have in the movies. These are direct cultural descendants of those short Roman staffs.
Just as bayonets are from the Roman short sword.
That, and eagles used as state or military heraldry.
Yes I'm a history nerd.