“colors” in Latin

(military)(military), signum militare: from the context signum only (any military sandard, consisting of a lance to which any image was affixed; e.g., an eagle, although that is sometimes particularly mentioned as being the principal standard of the legions. besides the signa militaria Caes., B.C, 3, 99): vexillum (a lance with a piece of some colored stuff: e.g. red for the legions, in which, at a later period, the name of the emperor was wrought. Suet., Vesp., 6. The signa and vexilla were used in greater and smaller divisions of the army; vexilla especially is found with the Triarii, the allies, the cavalry, etc.): to display the colors, signum or vexillum proponere; vexillum tollere: to lower the colors, vexillum submittere, before anybody, alicui (Statius Silvae, 4, 2, 43): to swear fidelity to anybody’s colors, sacramentum or sacramento dicere alicui: sacramentum dicere apud aliquem (PROP.): to follow the colors, signa sequi: to follow anybody’s colors, castra alicujus sequi; in alicujus castra se conficere: to desert the colors, signa militaria relinquene; a signis discedere: signa deserere: desertis signis ad hostem transire: ad hostem transfugere or perfugere: (IMPROP.) fidem movere: ab aliquo deficere; aliquem deserere: ad adversarios transire: in partes alicujus transgredi: deficere ad aliquem: to be true to one’s colors, to stick to one’s colors, fidem servare (IMPROP.).