Aurelius RAM Lodge No.814 Banner Dedication
Oration on Banners
by W.Bro. G.R.W. MacLean
ProvGChap (Acting)
Brethren, we have come together today to dedicate a new banner for the Aurelius RAM Lodge No. 814 nd it is my pleasant duty to provide a short-ish Oration on this occasion.
Why do banners exist? From the earliest times that mankind organised itself, there was a need to distinguish separate groups that had arisen. This need may have been generated for Social or Religious festivals or other non-festive occasions such as tribal councils, organising camp sites, etc. But it was most clearly a necessary means of identifying the various component units during armed conflicts. These are still, largely, the uses today.
Initially a tribe may have had a rallying totem or similar device carried before them and particularly evident in battles so that in the heat of conflict members of the tribe or clan could find where the rest of their group were and what their leaders wanted from them etc. Also of course it helped identify the enemy if you were in any doubt!
There is no clear evidence that banners etc were used by the Egyptians or other civilisations that went before them, but that does not mean they didn’t have some manner to identify groups and high dignatories/leaders.
It is known though that in China and Japan, there was a long tradition of “flag-type” banners being used to identify not only clans but there were personal standards of the leaders as well.
Now it is known that the Romans from the times of Marius had at least five distinctive totems which could be carried by a Century, Cohort, and Legion with various distinctive devices – these were called the “Signum” or “Signa Romanum”. The soldier who carried this was dressed differently and paid more than the rest and the rank they held was determined by the unit size whose “Signum” they were responsible for. The Eagle, Wolf, Minotaur, Horse and Boar are all recorded but over time it appears that the Eagle, surmounting crossed lightning bolts is perhaps the most well-known - on top of a long pole and carried by an “Aquilifer” before that unit on parade as well as in battle. It is also known that the legions each had a “Vexillum Standard” which was a small square embroidered cloth with the name and the “device “ of the legion on it hung from a cross-piece – which makes it similar to our banners today. One example from Egypt still exists from the 3rd Century AD in a museum in Italy, showing the Goddess Victory but nothing is known of which Legion it belonged to.
One unique Standard that should be familiar to members of the Red Cross of Constantine was the “Labarum” with the Christian Chi-Rho letters of Christianity which was the personal standard of the Emperor Constantine I and was subsequently adopted as a Standard of the Roman Army.
Thus there is no doubt that Aurelius would have been well familiar with such things although banners and flags do not appear to have been used outside the legion environment.
The tradition of banners as we know it now seems to have come to us from the times of the crusades in the 1100’s. The Saracens, who had much expertise in textiles, are known to have used flags and banners to indicate their tribes and their leaders in similar way to the Chinese and Japanese. It is thought that through having seen these during the centuries of European occupation of the Holy Land, the benefits of using such things was embraced by the crusaders and returned with them, fully fledged, when they exited the Holy Land at the end of the crusades. Indeed the first documentation of “Personal Standards with Coats of Arms” is found in Germany during this period and delineated how one might recognise one nobleman from another.
That use of flags, banners, and standards, has evolved and gained widespread adoption throughout the world today. Whether it is a National flag, a personal coat of arms, a flag of an organisation (like the Red Cross) or a university or county or a commercial company, they still fulfil the same basic purpose which is to make a group of people easily identifiable.
Turning to this RAM Lodge and it’s new banner, we need to ask first “Who was Aurelius?”. To avoid confusion I should mention at this point that he is NOT any of the characters with the same name in the Harry Potter films and books !! It is wholly appropriate that this banner centrally features a Roman Soldier in outline to make it clear which Aurelius it is named for.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, to give him his birth name, was born on 26th April 121 AD in Rome to the praetor Marcus Annius Verus and his wife Domitia Calvilla. He was related through marriage to the emperors Trajan and Hadrian. When his father died when Marcus was three, he was raised by his mother and paternal Grandfather and through a process of adoption routinely practised in Roman society he was eventually adopted by Antoninus (Marcus’s Uncle) who himself had been adopted as heir by Hadrian. Hence the route by which Marcus Aurelius became Emperor having twice previously served as Consul of Rome. He ruled from 7th March 161 AD to 17th March 180 AD, and is known as the last of “the five good Emperors” that ruled during a lengthy period of peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire – the Pax Romanus. He was known as an excellent administrator and legislator and frequently sought advice and permission from the Senate on matters of state.
While he never served in the legions before becoming Emperor – a typical route for young men of “Equestrian rank” to make them fit for Consular Service etc. – he was naturally familiar with them as an integral part of the empire and of course happily accepted any victories as being his own…. And in fact he died at the age of 58 while on campaign in Germany while working to secure Romes borders.
He is perhaps known particularly as a follower of the “Stoic” approach to life and was deeply interested in Philosophy and wrote several works that have come down the centuries most notably his “Meditations”. Many famous quotes by Marcus Aurelius have come down the centuries, given the nature of the Masonic Tenets we all observe perhaps most appropriate today are the following two:
Now armed with all this information we are in a good position to appreciate that, while he was not of Hebrew origins nor is he known to have been a mariner, this RAM Lodge is named after one of the most significant leaders of the Roman Empire. He was a model citizen and leader of his country and devoted time to thinking about wider aspects of life and behaviour.
Why do we have Lodge banners today? Although the practice of parading in regalia through the streets on special occasions is now mostly a thing of the past, by having this banner it proclaims the pride of the members in the lodge to the casual visitor to the centre or indeed when displayed at the annual Provincial meeting which is the very least of its role.
Why do banners exist? From the earliest times that mankind organised itself, there was a need to distinguish separate groups that had arisen. This need may have been generated for Social or Religious festivals or other non-festive occasions such as tribal councils, organising camp sites, etc. But it was most clearly a necessary means of identifying the various component units during armed conflicts. These are still, largely, the uses today.
Initially a tribe may have had a rallying totem or similar device carried before them and particularly evident in battles so that in the heat of conflict members of the tribe or clan could find where the rest of their group were and what their leaders wanted from them etc. Also of course it helped identify the enemy if you were in any doubt!
There is no clear evidence that banners etc were used by the Egyptians or other civilisations that went before them, but that does not mean they didn’t have some manner to identify groups and high dignatories/leaders.
It is known though that in China and Japan, there was a long tradition of “flag-type” banners being used to identify not only clans but there were personal standards of the leaders as well.
Now it is known that the Romans from the times of Marius had at least five distinctive totems which could be carried by a Century, Cohort, and Legion with various distinctive devices – these were called the “Signum” or “Signa Romanum”. The soldier who carried this was dressed differently and paid more than the rest and the rank they held was determined by the unit size whose “Signum” they were responsible for. The Eagle, Wolf, Minotaur, Horse and Boar are all recorded but over time it appears that the Eagle, surmounting crossed lightning bolts is perhaps the most well-known - on top of a long pole and carried by an “Aquilifer” before that unit on parade as well as in battle. It is also known that the legions each had a “Vexillum Standard” which was a small square embroidered cloth with the name and the “device “ of the legion on it hung from a cross-piece – which makes it similar to our banners today. One example from Egypt still exists from the 3rd Century AD in a museum in Italy, showing the Goddess Victory but nothing is known of which Legion it belonged to.
One unique Standard that should be familiar to members of the Red Cross of Constantine was the “Labarum” with the Christian Chi-Rho letters of Christianity which was the personal standard of the Emperor Constantine I and was subsequently adopted as a Standard of the Roman Army.
Thus there is no doubt that Aurelius would have been well familiar with such things although banners and flags do not appear to have been used outside the legion environment.
The tradition of banners as we know it now seems to have come to us from the times of the crusades in the 1100’s. The Saracens, who had much expertise in textiles, are known to have used flags and banners to indicate their tribes and their leaders in similar way to the Chinese and Japanese. It is thought that through having seen these during the centuries of European occupation of the Holy Land, the benefits of using such things was embraced by the crusaders and returned with them, fully fledged, when they exited the Holy Land at the end of the crusades. Indeed the first documentation of “Personal Standards with Coats of Arms” is found in Germany during this period and delineated how one might recognise one nobleman from another.
That use of flags, banners, and standards, has evolved and gained widespread adoption throughout the world today. Whether it is a National flag, a personal coat of arms, a flag of an organisation (like the Red Cross) or a university or county or a commercial company, they still fulfil the same basic purpose which is to make a group of people easily identifiable.
Turning to this RAM Lodge and it’s new banner, we need to ask first “Who was Aurelius?”. To avoid confusion I should mention at this point that he is NOT any of the characters with the same name in the Harry Potter films and books !! It is wholly appropriate that this banner centrally features a Roman Soldier in outline to make it clear which Aurelius it is named for.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, to give him his birth name, was born on 26th April 121 AD in Rome to the praetor Marcus Annius Verus and his wife Domitia Calvilla. He was related through marriage to the emperors Trajan and Hadrian. When his father died when Marcus was three, he was raised by his mother and paternal Grandfather and through a process of adoption routinely practised in Roman society he was eventually adopted by Antoninus (Marcus’s Uncle) who himself had been adopted as heir by Hadrian. Hence the route by which Marcus Aurelius became Emperor having twice previously served as Consul of Rome. He ruled from 7th March 161 AD to 17th March 180 AD, and is known as the last of “the five good Emperors” that ruled during a lengthy period of peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire – the Pax Romanus. He was known as an excellent administrator and legislator and frequently sought advice and permission from the Senate on matters of state.
While he never served in the legions before becoming Emperor – a typical route for young men of “Equestrian rank” to make them fit for Consular Service etc. – he was naturally familiar with them as an integral part of the empire and of course happily accepted any victories as being his own…. And in fact he died at the age of 58 while on campaign in Germany while working to secure Romes borders.
He is perhaps known particularly as a follower of the “Stoic” approach to life and was deeply interested in Philosophy and wrote several works that have come down the centuries most notably his “Meditations”. Many famous quotes by Marcus Aurelius have come down the centuries, given the nature of the Masonic Tenets we all observe perhaps most appropriate today are the following two:
- The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.
- Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.
Now armed with all this information we are in a good position to appreciate that, while he was not of Hebrew origins nor is he known to have been a mariner, this RAM Lodge is named after one of the most significant leaders of the Roman Empire. He was a model citizen and leader of his country and devoted time to thinking about wider aspects of life and behaviour.
Why do we have Lodge banners today? Although the practice of parading in regalia through the streets on special occasions is now mostly a thing of the past, by having this banner it proclaims the pride of the members in the lodge to the casual visitor to the centre or indeed when displayed at the annual Provincial meeting which is the very least of its role.
Published on 27/10/23
