Armilla ( military decoration ) An armilla ( plural " armillae " ) was an armband awarded as a military decoration ( " donum militarium " ) to soldiers of ancient Rome for conspicious gallantry . Legionary ( citizen ) soldiers and non - commissioned officers below the rank of centurion were eligible for this award , but non - citizen soldiers were not . Unlike legionaries , auxiliary common soldiers did not receive individual decorations , though auxiliary officers did . However , a whole auxiliary regiment could be honoured by a title as an equivalent award , which in this case would be " armillata " ( " awarded bracelets " ) , or be granted Roman citizenship " en masse " as a reward . This entitled an auxiliary regiment to add the appellation " civium Romanorum " ( Roman citizens ) to its list of honours . " Armillae " were either gold , silver or bronze . The status of the recipient appears to have determined whether he would be granted a gold " armilla " or the lesser silver . Bronze " armillae " were given as awards for distinguished conduct to soldiers of lesser rank , but were valued no less highly for the prestige they conferred upon their owners . " Armillae " were usually awarded in pairs and a soldier could win more than one pair . They were not for everyday wear , but generally only worn at military parades or on dress uniform occasions like a general ' s Triumph , though they could also be worn at certain civic events like religious ceremonies and the games . Roman military honours were not awarded posthumously , but those won during a soldier ' s lifetime were often proudly shown on his sarcophagus or cenotaph . The " armillae " awarded to senior centurion Marcus Caelius of Legio XVIII , for example , are evident on his funerary monument , and three pairs of " armillae " can be seen on the memorial panel at Villa Vallelunga in Italy which depicts the awards granted to veteran C . Vibius Macer during his years of active service . Military " armillae " were modelled on those worn by the Celts . The tradition of using Celtic - style torcs and " armillae " as Roman military decorations had its beginnings in 361 BC when Titus Manlius Torquatus ( consul 347 BC ) slew a Gallic chieftain of impressive size in single combat . He then stripped the bloodstained torc from the corpse ' s neck and placed it around his own as a trophy . The Romans were initially daunted by the fearsome appearance of the Gauls , whose elite warriors were " richly adorned with gold necklaces and armbands " . The torc was the Celtic symbol of authority and prestige . By his action , Torquatus in effect took the vanquished chieftain ' s power for his own , and created a potent , visible token of Roman domination . As such , over time the torc and also the " armilla " were adopted as official awards for valour , taking on the role of symbolic war trophies . " Armillae " were made in a substantial masculine style and produced in a variety of designs : a solid , hinged cuff , sometimes inscribed with legionary emblems or decorated with incised patterns ; an open - ended spiral ; a chunky , rounded bracelet with open or overlapping ends ; or a torc in miniature . " Armillae " which were open - ended or had overlapping ends often featured knobs or snake - heads as terminals .