DRACONARIUS, in antiquity, DRAGON-BEARER. Several nations, as the Persians, Parthians, Scythians, &c. bore dragons on their standards; whence the standards themselves were called dracones, "dragons." The Romans borrowed the same custom from the Parthians; or, as Casaubon has it, from the Daci; or, as Codin, from the Assyrians.
The Roman dracones were figures of dragons painted in red on the flags, as appears from Ammianus
Marcellinus: but among the Persians and Parthians they were, like the Roman eagle, figures in full relief; so that the Romans were frequently deceived, and took them for real dragons.
The soldier who bore the dragon or standard was called by the Romans draconarius; and by the Greeks δρακονέας and δρακοντιοδός; for the emperors carried the custom with them to Constantinople.