I’m dumb as hell but was curious what it said. I asked ChatGPT, so feel free to correct:
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The abbreviation “A·I·TR” on the Roman auxiliary cavalry standard can be interpreted as follows:
- A: Likely stands for Ala, which refers to a Roman auxiliary cavalry unit.
- I: Stands for Prima (first), indicating the unit’s numerical designation as the First Ala.
- TR: Likely stands for Thracia (Thracian), indicating the origin of the unit or its cultural composition.
Thus, “A·I·TR” likely translates to “Ala Prima Thracum,” meaning “First Thracian Cavalry Unit.” This would have been a Roman auxiliary cavalry regiment recruited primarily from Thracians, a group known for their equestrian skills.
I’ve never seen that thing before, but I immediately thought: “That thing looks oddly roman, now doesn’t it.” Then, I read the headline, and concluded that Romans knew about consistent branding.
Funny enough, consistent branding actually was a very high priority of the Roman government! The Romans put a high priority on being able to tell when something was official by the way it was made, said, or appeared - everything from edict wording to fashion to architecture - entire varieties of marble were subject to imperial monopolies to prevent non-authorized use!
In a time before easy verification from centralized communication, getting ordinary people to recognize what is and isn’t official at a glance is very advantageous!
It was a pretty large empire, so I can imagine it must have been useful for everyone to know what’s official and what’s not. Besides, it also makes Rome stand out from other organizations who didn’t care about consistency.
