Cornu (musical instrument)
Cornicines on the Trajan Column
The Cornu (Pl .: Cornua, lat. 'Horn') was a brass instrument in the Roman Empire .
Similar to the Buccina, it has a circularly wound tube about 3 m long. The instrument was assembled from several cast bronze tubes and had a support running at an angle in the diameter for stabilization. It looked like the capital letter G .
The cornu was worn in the Roman army by the hornblower ( Cornicen ), whose rank can be compared with that of a private . He translated his centurion's commands into sound signals and sent them across the battlefield. But straight horns ( tubae ) were also used for the same purpose.
Outside of the war it was also used as a ceremonial instrument.