01/11/2026
In the infantry units of the Roman army, the signifer was a non-commissioned officer in charge of carrying the signum, or ensign, of each century.
His rank was miles principalis and he was chosen for his valor, mastery of the military profession, and integrity. Therefore, he was also entrusted with the custody of his century's savings bank, which, along with those of the other centuries, was kept in the aedes, or principia chapel, of the unit's camp. This chapel housed the standards of each legion or auxiliary cohort when the troops were not in the field.
Within each century, the signifer reported to the centurio through the optio. He could be promoted to optio or, in the legions, to aquilifer, or bearer of the aquila, the unit's principal ensign, or to imaginifer, bearer of the emperor's portrait; and in auxiliary units, to vexillarius, or bearer of the vexillum, or unit flag.
The signifers only disappeared with the dissolution of the Roman army in the 5th century in the West and under Justinian in the East.
Equipment
A signifer used equipment similar to that of other soldiers, but differed in some details. Thus, their equipment during the High Empire consisted of:
the signum or standard of the century, which consisted of a wooden pole decorated with metal discs or phalerae, which could indicate either the number of the cohort's century (from one to six) or the collective decorations obtained by the century; a placard indicating the unit to which it belonged, culminating in a lance in auxiliary units or an open hand or signum in praetorian legions and cohorts.
a helmet, called a galea in the High Empire, covered with an animal skin such as a bear or lion—Hercules' animal. This type of helmet was characteristic of the signiferes, a leather subarmalis - a piece worn under the armour - an iron lorica hamata, a gladius with its scabbard on the right, brachae or wool trousers, caligae or boots with nailed soles.
