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An aquilifer was the standard bearer of a Roman legion. The name derives from the type of standard, aquila meaning
"eagle", which was the universal type used since 104 BCE; before that time the wolf, boar, and horse
were also used. The standard was the most important possession of the legion and its loss was a terrible disgrace. The
aquilifer's position was accordingly one of enormous prestige. The aquilifer typically wore as headdress the hide of a leopard,
wolf, bear, or, in the case of the Praetorian Guard, a lion; the animal's upper jaw would be on top of the helmet. He carried a small circular shield
called parma that could be strapped on if his hands were already full with the standard and a weapon.
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