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ROMAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT |
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Balteus The plate-covered belt popularly called a cingulum was more likely known as a balteus. In the mid-first Century AD a single belt to support dagger and apron was most common, but the two crossed belts worn in Augustan times still appeared. Caligae These heavy sandals are the classic Roman army boot. Numerous examples have been found at first-century sites . Tunics The basic garment is a white or off-white wool tunic made of two rectangles 30"-48" long by 24"-40" wide, sewn together at the sides and shoulders. The body panels are cut across the grain of the fabric, so that there is a selvage (finished) edge at the top and bottom. (Actually, since modern wool is often wider than Roman wool, you will probably have a selvage at either top or bottom.) Gladius There were basically two types of sword in use in the mid-first Century. The older "Mainz"pattern had a blade 20" to 22" long by about 2 1/4" to 3" wide. It was slightly wasp-waisted and had a long point. The newer "Pompeii" type had parallel edges and a short point, and was approximately 2" wide by 16-22" long. (The Fulham sword is apparently a transitional type; parallel edges, 2" wide but flaired slightly at the hilt, with a long point.) Blades were double-edged with a flat diamond cross-section, without grooves or fullers. The hilt was made of wood, bone, or ivory, and the grooved grip was usually hexagonal or octagonal in section. A thin brass plate was set into the bottom of the guard. Helmets There were a wide variety of helmets in use in the mid-first Century, nowadays known by H. Russell Robinson's classifications (see his Armour of Imperial Rome for the fullest details). Lorica Hamata Mail was the standard armor before the introduction of the lorica segmentata, and it continued in use among auxiliaries and legionaries throughout the Imperial period. It is not known what the ratio of hamata to segmentata might have been in the legions during the mid-first century, but a minority of mailshirts in the ranks is certainly acceptable. Mail was also worn by standard-bearers, musicians, and centurions, and of course by auxiliary troops. Lorica Segmentata "Lorica" is Latin for "armor"; "segmentata" is a modern term applied to the classic Roman iron cuirass of bands or hoops, introduced by the early 1st Century AD. Its origins are unknown. Scutum There are numerous depictions of the scutum from the 1st Century, but some details are still unclear. It is most often rectangular, but sometimes has curved sides. Sometimes corner "L's" are visible; those and other features could have been applied trim or painted. From the few colored illustrations that survive, it seems that shields were often red Pilum The javelin, or pilum, consists of a long iron head with a small point, and a wood shaft. On the most common type, the bottom of the head widens into a flat tang, which is riveted into the widened top of the wood shaft. The second type has a socketed head, and a third type, less well-known, has a spike tang. In the first Century AD, some tanged pila are shown with a spherical weight, presumed to be lead, behind the joint block. Apparently the weapon had become lighter over the centuries, and the weight was added to increase its "punch". |