Signum manipuli

The signum manipuli (Latin for 'standard' of the maniple, manipulus) was a standard for both the centuriae and the legion. The manipulus was a standard alternative to the vexillum and derives from the latin word manipulus ("handful") from a handful of straw (the original standard) suspended on top of a pole and thus meant the soldiers belonging to the same group. There was only one signum manipuli for each of the manipuli. At first the standards were the eagle (the Aquila), the wolf, the minotaur, the horse and the boar. In time there was only the eagle while the rest were abandoned.