Expert: Maria - 8/1/2008

Question
hello Maria, I would like  to find out  how did the bull ( the enblem)in the shield of the 10th. legion (Caesar's) looked like and what color it was painted. Also what color was the shield painted.? Gracias


Answer
Hello,

Although shields are not my field of expertise, I think that the bull (“taurus”, in Latin)  which was  the tenth legion's emblem ( X legio, in Latin), like almost all Caesarian legions, looked like the bull we see in the coin at the site below:
http://www.livius.org/a/1/legio/x_gemina/x_bull.jpg

The colour of his bull was brown of course, while the shield (“scutum”, in Latin) might be red or gold as these colors  seem to be very popular colors used in the designs of shields.

Finally note that "Legio X Equestris " (Latin: "Tenth legion 'mounted'") was a Roman legion, levied by Julius Caesar, possibly in 61 BC.
Legio X fought for Caesar in many of his major battles during the  Gallic Wars against several Gallic tribes from 58 BC to 51 BC.

Later its soldiers were discharged in 45 BC. Its remnants were reconstituted, fought for Mark Antony and Octavian, and later merged into another legion named  X Gemina ('the twin legion').

Best regards,
Maria
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http://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/x_gemina.html