Phalerae have their roots in Greek and Etruscan decorative discs before the Romans adopted them, by the 4th century BC, as a formal award for valour. They were granted individually to soldiers below the rank of centurion, or collectively to entire units for distinguished conduct, and were worn suspended from a leather harness across the breastplate during parades and commemorative occasions. Centurions in particular are shown in funerary reliefs, such as the well-known gravestone of Marcus Caelius, wearing a full harness of phalerae as a permanent mark of rank. This reproduction is cast in solid brass with raised motifs drawn from Roman iconography, mounted on a genuine leather harness for parade or display wear.
Phalerae Harness, Solid Brass
Phalerae were the closest thing the Roman army had to modern medals — disc-shaped decorations in gold, silver or bronze, awarded for acts of bravery and distinguished service. Worn mounted on a leather harness across the chest, they were typically issued in odd-numbered sets and paraded openly, marking a soldier as one of the phalerati, the decorated. This harness recreates that display in solid brass discs cast with raised Roman iconography, mounted on genuine leather straps.
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