[ANSTHRLD] recovery of imperial regalia related to Maxentius

[Hillary Greenslade]

Got this off the Medieval Trivia yahoo group. 
What caught my eye was that mention of imperial insignia and regalia from a roman era.
Enjoy, Hillary 
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Of related interest is this week's report of the recovery of imperial
regalia related to Maxentius:

New finds from imperial Rome
http://www.wantedin rome.com/news/news.php?id_n=2495

Francesco Rutelli, Italy's minister of fine arts, has presented at the
Italian cultural institute in New York an important archaeological discovery
made this summer in the course of excavations in Rome led by Clementina
Panella in the area between the Via Sacra and the Palatine, near the arch of
Constantine.

The finds are of imperial insignia, and consist of javelins and lances for
carrying flags and pennants, and a sceptre and three orbs. The javelins,
lances and sceptre are in orichalc, a highly-prized alloy similar to brass,
and were wrapped in silk and linen cloths before being stored in wooden
cases, while two of the orbs are in gilded glass and the third in
chalcedony, a precious variety of quartz, probably brought from India. The
importance of the finds is that such insignia, typical of Roman emperors,
have so far been known only from representations on coins or friezes. The
pieces date to the fourth century AD, and have been identified as probably
belonging to Maxentius, Constantine¹s rival for the empire, who was defeated
at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312, during which he drowned.

For the AP report: 
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2006-12-04-rome-insignia_x.htm
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061203/ap_on_re_eu/italy_emperor_insignia
 
http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=0110013AXCZG