Early Christian Themes and Symbols on Roman Militaria of the 4th to 6th/7th Centuries CE
Journal: Frontière·s
Year: 2025

The starting point of this contribution is the striking difference between the high frequency of depictions of symbols of pagan gods used as protective symbols on the shields and helmets of Roman soldiers between the 1st to 3rd centuries CE and the almost complete absence of similar depictions of Christian symbols in the 4th and 5th centuries. No archaeological finds of shields from the 4th to 6th/7th centuries are preserved, but the Chi Rho appears regularly in depictions on shields carried by