Rank Insignia

[Redsword]

When was rank insignia first a standard part of a warrior's dress?

I guess I do not mean heraldic devices on a shield or banner but something on the armor or garments that would correspond to "Sargent Stripes" or "Oak Leaf Clusters" so that anyone could look and know "He is of this specific rank."

I am guessing that the answer would involve to parts to educating a noobie like me.

First, when did warriors begin to have different ranks?

and

Second, when and how did they first show it on their "uniform"?

Just curious.

[Norman]

According to Pletneva,
the Tarkhan in the Khazar army wore a belt strap with an animal tail attached as a sign of rank.
This would be about 8-10 cent.
The Tarkhan would be the leader - like a general

Actualy, didn't the Roman legionary corresponding to Seargeant have a stick he carried as a sign of office?

[Cian of Storvik]

In the medieval mind set a person of rank would imply nobility. In the middle age europe a person of rank is a person with a title. The modern idea of ranks doesn't jibe with the medieval feudal system.

In medieval english armies there were no standing armies and so for that fact alone, the concept of name rank is disolved. Armies were ad hoc, raised as needed. E.g. starting in the 14th century a capitane/capitain would be a noble in command of a company. A company being of indeterminate size. Because captain really meant any person in charge of a group of men, it might be argued that unlike today where it has a specific rank, it was more like we use the word "leader" or "manager" or "qb". At engagement A, you might be captain of 15 men. in the next you're just taking orders from someone else.

More specifically in England, a vintenar would be in command of a division of 20 common foot soldiers. A centnar would be in command of a group of 100. These are pretty much rigid hundred years english disignations. Not sure if they were used at any other time. Once again, I would point out that these are not really a "rank", but a designation of being in charge. I'm not sure about the French words for this were or if the English got it from the French (but being latin it's very likely).

Knights, who were nobles of true rank would usually be atleast in charge of a lance. (Most often in England, i usually see a lance described as a couple of men-at-arms, an a squire and a couple of archers but it could be a much larger group). And being of rank, a Knight could be a simple knight of order, a knight bachelor (fighting under another's banner, and not a member of a specific order) or a Knight banneret (fighting under his own banner). And that would fill out a class session if nothing else.

As far as uniform rank ensignia, I believe you are looking more toward revolutionary or Indian war period.
-Cian

[Effingham]

Without looking it up, I'd think it would be around or shortly after Gustavus Adolphus. Even up to that time, the idea of a nobleman wearing a uniform (IIRC) was somewhat touchy.

Vestiges of *indications* of rank (sashes indicating officers, for example survived into the 19th and early 20th centuries) lasted for a long time, even after uniforms became the vogue. But *when* the actual rank started being visible, I have no idea.

[AwP]

Didn't the holy order knights (Templars, Hospitars, etc) have a hierarchy of ranks?

[Anthonye]

The Trained Bands had a organizational structure with a Captain, Lieutenant, Ensign, Sergeant, and Corporal.

[D. Sebastian]

Grain of salt though, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_rank

Earliest visible display would be the Centurion with his sideways plumage, and vitus (stick for smackin')

[Blaine de Navarre]

Up until quite recently (and even now in many countries) military rank was always associated with socio-economic class. As recently as the mid-19th C. it was not uncommon to see very little actual "insignia" but for rank to be discernable simply by the quality and quantity of one's clothing and gear. In some cases, just having an actual "uniform" as opposed to civilian clothes and an arm-band might mark someone as an officer.

[Baron Alcyoneus]

Grain of salt though, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_rank

Earliest visible display would be the Centurion with his sideways plumage, and vitus (stick for smackin')

Verily I will flat snap you with my Vitus until you are decimated!

[Ceadda]

Grain of salt though, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_rank

Earliest visible display would be the Centurion with his sideways plumage, and vitus (stick for smackin')

I wonder if THAT is why Sir Vitus chose his name?

[Matthew Amt]

Right, a Roman centurion was distinguished by his transverse crest and by his 3-foot vine-staff or swagger stick, called a vitis (sorry, not "vitus"!). There were 60 centurions in a legion, all arranged in a hierarchy of seniority, and there does not seem to have been any other distinctions of rank among them.

Second-in-command to a centurion was an optio, who carried a 5-foot ball-headed staff. Tribunes and legates were aristocrats who wore traditional Hellenistic armor (muscled cuirass and "Attic" helmet), but there doesn't seem to have been any particular way to tell all of them apart, either.

Most of that seems to have gone away by the end of the Roman era, except that nobles are still often shown with identifiable Hellenistic or Neo-Classical features, right through the early Middle Ages. It's possible that Byzantine armies had rank distinctions (other than nobles), but I don't know about that.

Little bits of insignia for NCOs seem to start showing up in the 17th century, but probably not really standardized until the 18th. (And as others have said, officers did their own thing!) Eventually that evolved into what we see today.

The only bit that carried over from the middle ages was the 18th century officer's gorget, a small crescent-shaped metal plate hung by a ribbon around the neck. It was the vestigial remains of the older defensive gorget.

Valete,

Matthew

[D. Sebastian]

Also...

There was the Herculean Knot (tied across the chest), thought to deonte rank - but I have not dates of usage, pics, or other info handy.

[Cliff Rogers]

Surcoats with coats of arms generally indicated a knight (a rank) until I think the fifteenth century (or late 14th), when esquires also began to have coats of arms. The next rank up was bannerets, who were indicated by having banners (carried by a banner-bearer) instead of penons.

In the Bayeux Tapestry, William is shown with what looks to be a sort of rank tab at the back of his neck.