DRACONARIUS, in Antiquity, DRAGON-BEARER. Several nations, as the Persians, Parthians, and Scythians, bore dragons on their standards; and hence the standards themselves were called dracones, or dragons. The Romans are generally supposed to have borrowed the same custom from the Parthians; but Casaubon thinks they took it from the Daci; while Codin is of opinion that they owe it to the Assyrians.
The Roman dracones were figures of dragons painted in red upon the flags, as appears from Ammianus Marcellinus; but amongst 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 δρακοναρις and δρακοντοροπος; for the emperors carried the custom with them to Constantinople.