ROMAN LEGION - REPUBLIC PERIOD (298 - 105 BC). LESSON Nr. 2: THE CORNICEN

 With the term "cornicem" is it intended the men that used the "cornus", i.e. horn to give orders to the troops, under the command of a Centurio.

if we have some info about the Signiferi where they were positioned, as discussed in my previous lesson, (nr. 1), for the position of the cornicien we have even more difficulties to understand his correct position in the maniple and in the centuries.

Until the Augustus' reforms we know there were 3 kinds of musicians

- Cornicen: as in the figure above, probably 1 per maniple

- Tubicien: with a long trumbet giving orders to all the army (probably in a good numbers and next to the commander in chief)

- Bucinator: using a short horn to give orders for the shift of the guards in the night.

We want to focus here on the Cornicen and his number and position inside the legion.

Vegetius in his Book nr. 2, Chapter XXII that helps a lot in describing how these mucicians worked.

In fact it states: "tubicen ad bellum vocat milites et rursum receptui canit" i.e. the tubicen summons  to the fight the soldiers and still it sounds to the retreat; then he adds: "cornicines quotiens canunt non milites sed signa ad eorum obtemperant nutum" i.e. when the cornicines sings not the soldiers, but the standards (signa) obey to their orders.

So it is important to note that the Cornicen commanded the signa (standards) while the tubicen commanded the soldiers.

Another passage quotes: "ergo, quotiens ad aliquod opus exituri sunt soli milites, tubicines canunt; quotiens movenda sunt signa, cornicines canunt" i.e. so when just the soldiers have to get out to attend to some works, the tubicines sings. when the standards has to move, the cornicen sounds"

Finally he adds: "quotiens autem pugnatur et tubicines et cornicines pariter canunt"  i.e. when one fights both tubicines and cornicines at the same time sings.

From these passages it is clear that the cornicines commanded just the signa (standards) and that the standards were movining indipendently from the soldiers. It means that it could have given a command to blow the cornicen in order to move the signum of the maniple. From this, it is easy to understand that being just 1 signum per maniple, there was as well just 1 cornicen to command it. This all means that the soldiers and the signa moved in battle in different and authonomous way, and above all that the signa could move from one position to another position (see lesson nr.1) i.e. from the front, next to the prior centurion  to the back; once this signal given a command was given to all soldiers to move forwards, having the standard behind them (see lesson nr. 1)

For what is about the position of the cornicen, we have to consider that it took the order from the Centurio so it was next to him and next to the signum.

Some schemes to better describe what is written

The correctness of this position of the cornicen is given also by some evident problems that a different position would give.

Let's imagine that the cornicen is behind the Centurio and the signifer

It would mean that the Centurio shoud turn back, order to the Cornicen to blow and ... having his ears pierced by the sound while the rest of the centuria prior would not hear and even less the centuria posterior.

If we consider at the contrary to have at the beginning of the movement the cornicen (alongside the signifer) in front of the centuria prior, it is evident that the Centurio could have given easly the order to the cornicen; it could be possible also that signifer and cornicen where at the right of the centurio prior, but it is said that the unit advanced haveing the signa "in front"; so this is not the correct position.

Once the order was given to advance ad  bellum (to the fight) the soldiers would have seen the signa and the cornicen going back to protect and at the same time the centuria posterior to advance. In this way, the maniple totally arrayed had the cornicen at its back, easly providing his sound to everyone. See scheme hereunder:

To finish and to confort what has been said, as for the signifer, even more to the cornicen that was hampered by a cumbersome instument making him impossible to defend himself, it is evident he could not stay just behind the Centurio, easly target to wahteve attack. It means he had to be behind and protected.