Vexilla Romana – a Lecture on Roman Vexilla

Vexilla Romana – predavanje o rimskim veksilimaSince the new meeting place of the Zagreb Classical Gymnasium Society is the multimedia hall of the Classical Gymnasium, Željko Heimer‘s lecture was held right there. Current and former students were given the opportunity to listen to a lecture that was supposed to be held two years ago, but unfortunately, it was postponed due to the pandemic.

A Gathering of Classicists

On Monday, May 16, Major of the Croatian Army Dr. Željko Heimer explained to the audience the meaning of the Latin word vexillum, which originates from the Romans themselves, and it was due for Zagreb’s Classicists to learn something about their history in a lecture of about forty minutes.

Vexilla Romana – predavanje o rimskim veksilimaHeimer received his PhD in 2013 from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Studies of the University of Zagreb. He is a member of several international and national scientific and professional associations of heraldists and vexillologists and is one of the founders of the Croatian Heraldic and Vexillological Association and since 2006 its first president. He is the editor of its semi-annual journal “Grb i Zastava”.

Use and Types of Flags in the Classical Period

Despite the inherited name of the discipline, Roman vexilla are not flags in the modern sense of the word, but mostly belong to the group of vexilloids – objects by thier function similar to flags.

Heimer explains the purpose and use of flags in various ancient cultures and talks about how many of the modern flags we use today come from ancient cultures, so Roman vexilla and vexiloids and their successors never completely lost their function.

 

Text and photo:Tara Duralija, 18 May 2022.

translated from μ – Časopis učenika Klasične gimnazije (Journal of the Classical Gymnasium Students) https://casopis-mi.org/vexilla-romana-predavanje-o-rimskim-veksilima/