{{Short description|Ancient Roman military horn player}} {{For|a genus of snail|Aeneator (gastropod)}} {{Italic title}} An '''''aeneator'''''<!--- "eneator" and "æneator" are never correct, because the "ae" is "aē" in Latin, which cannot collapse to a simple "e" or "æ" in English (compare "aero-") ---> ({{langx|la|aēneātor}} or {{lang|la|italic=yes|ahēneātor}}) was a specialized player of wind instruments who was attached to a Roman military unit. The word comes from Latin ''aēneus'' or ''ahēneus'', "brazen", from ''aes'', "copper alloy". While the size of individual Roman military units may have varied, they made extensive use of both acoustical and visual signaling in communications and each had an assigned banner bearer (''vexillarius'') and at least one ''aeneator''. A variety of instruments were used by ''aeneatores'', including the ''buccina'', ''cornu'', ''tuba'', and ''lituus''. In addition to their roles in the Roman army, ''aeneatores'' were also used for processionals and games, particularly in marching home from war.<ref name=Antcliffe>{{Citation | last = Antcliffe | first = Herbert | title = What Music Meant to the Romans | journal = Music & Letters | volume = 30 | issue = 4 | pages = 338 | year = 1949 | doi=10.1093/ml/XXX.4.337}}</ref>
==Categories of ''aeneatores''== ''Aeneatores'' who blew a ''buccina'' (a ''C''-shaped horn made of bronze or silver or animal horn) were known as ''buccinators''; those who blew a ''cornu'' (a ''G''-shaped horn made of brass) were known as ''cornicines''; those who blew a ''tuba'' (a straight bronze horn with a slight flare at the end)<ref name=Meucci> {{Citation | last = Meucci | first = Renato | title = Roman Military Instruments and the Lituus | journal = The Galpin Society Journal | volume = 42 | pages = 86 | year = 1989 | doi = 10.2307/842625 | jstor = 842625 }}</ref> were known as ''tubicines'' or ''tubatores''; players of the ''lituus'' were called ''liticines''. ''Cornicines'' and ''tubicines'' mostly performed uncomplicated tactical signaling on the battlefield, and therefore were not accorded special status in the military unit.<ref name=Donaldson> {{Citation | last = Donaldson | first = G.H. | title = Signalling Communications and the Roman Imperial Army | journal = Britannia | volume = 19 | pages = 351–352 | year = 1988 | doi=10.2307/526204| jstor = 526204 }}</ref> They had call duties in the barracks, just as other commonly conscripted soldiers had. By contrast, the ''bucinator'' was seen as a specially-skilled member of the unit who was capable of performing a wider repertoire and was used to perform a variety of ceremonial duties. Many units accorded ''bucinators immunes'' status,<ref name=Donaldson /> and there were equestrian ''bucinatores'' that served as cavalry buglers.<ref name=Meucci />
==See also== *List of Roman army unit types
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Music of ancient Rome Category:Military ranks of ancient Rome