M. Titius, Menas and the insignia scutorum

This paper explores an intriguing episode in Cass. Dio 48.30.4-6 in the light of the literary and archaeological evidence for shield blazons in the Roman legions. The statement of Menas, reported by Dio, that the soldiers of M. Titius carried the name of Sextus (Pompeius) on their shields is usually taken literally. It is argued, however, that the passage may involve an unrecognized pun and that some of the soldiers of M. Titius may have been veterans of Caesar's legio VI who carried shields emblazoned with their former legion's unit number.