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Third century gravestones showing equipment - triarius354 - 07-28-2008
Hi all
I'm interested in the armament from the crisis period, c. 200 - 300 AD. Does anyone knows gravestones (other than the ones in imagebase) or other rare depictions from this period showing arms and armour? Any depictions of soldiers with Heddernheim/Buch/etc. -style helmets welcomed
Juliusz Tomczak
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - jho - 07-29-2008
Much of the pictorial evidence is collected in
Coulston, J.C. 1990a: 'Later Roman armour, 3rd-6th centuries AD', Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 1, 139-60
I do not have any references here but from the top of my head the following depictions of helmets come to mind (most were discussed on RAT and can hopefully be found either in the image base or in the UBI ERAT LUPA database):
Mask helmet:
• Soldier of IV Scythica, Nikaia
• tombstone from Frojach, Austria
Niederbieber helmets:
• tubicen, Istanbul (Aurelius Suro?)
• Marcus Aurelius Avitianus
• Alexandria tombstone (Ares?)
• Intercisa relief (I believe that this shows Niederbieber type helmets; others appear to assume that Intercisa type helmets are intended)
• "Aurelius Cervinus" sgraffito (vexillations of Legg. II and XX)
• Dura Europos (I believe that the soldiers in the decapitation scene wear Niederbieber type helmets and actually reflect contemporary Roman armor more closely than the often cited scenes of the arc of the covenant and the crossing of the Red Sea)
The most strikingly naturalistic depictions of Niederbieber (or rather Heddernheim) helmets are:
• mosaic from synagogue in Israel (was dicussed on RAT I believe)
• Cobannus hoard (statue of a young god in a helmet sans cheekpieces)
I apologize for the lack of references but you should be able to find more information either here on RAT or by a short search of the internet. I could look up specific references later if you need them.
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - Jona Lendering - 07-29-2008
Quote:I'm interested in the armament from the crisis period, c. 200 - 300 AD. Does anyone knows gravestones (other than the ones in imagebase)
![[Image: iii_italica_paulus_iam1.JPG]](http://www.livius.org/a/1/legio/iii_italica/iii_italica_paulus_iam1.JPG)
A soldier of III Italica from the reign of Caracalla, found in Perinthus; now in the Archaeological Museum, Istanbul.
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - triarius354 - 07-29-2008
jho
thanks for those examples; I wasn't aware of the tombstone from Frojah and Cobannus hoard and will try to find them
Marcus Aurelius Aviatinus gravestone you mentioned is in my opinion one of better (although crude) depictions of this style of helmets, with large cheek-pieces clearly visible. As for Dura Europos synagogue scenes, if I remember correctly there was a talk on the forum about unknown roman helmet type, perhaps proto-ridge helmet similar to later morion-type helmets, and according to it the soldiers in decapitations scene were wearing these. The morion - style hypotesis is tempting, Cervinus phalera (?) representing something similar.
I'm currently working on some IIIrd soldiers drawings and I want to show as many varity of equipment as can be found; unfortately, as for gravestones, predominating style in this period is something like gravestone Jona posted, with only shield plus sometimes sword and spear/pilum/light javelins vivisble
Sorry for any language mistakes, I read far better than I write :?
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - jho - 07-29-2008
Frojach is here
FROJACH
Personally I am very sceptical of the proto-Morion idea (although I have not reviewed the discussion you refer to).
To me it appears more likely that this is simply a crude way of showing the curvature of the rim and at the same time exposing more of the face. Similar depicitions occur as early as Hellenistic tombstones and I am not aware that any such helmet had ever been found.
Although I am not at all an expert on the Carolingian period, it is remarkable that helmets of that period are also often shown with a "Morion" style rime whereas the only originals found (although pre- or post dating that period) are simple hemispherical banded helmets. Again, I am not at all an expert in these matters and be completely missing something here.
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - jho - 07-29-2008
p.s. I have a copy from the relevant parts of the publication of the Cobannus hoard somewhere and may be able to PM it to you if you do not find it elsewhere.
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - triarius354 - 07-29-2008
jho
I know that there is no archeological examples of the "morion-type", and all the evidence comes from pictorial representations. One of the more convincing depictions was I believe an early-byzantine (VI-VIIc. ?) showing cavalryman from the front with visible upward rim. Although I'm a big fan of the impressive, heavy heddernheim-style helmets (wish to buy one someday as addtion for my early - IIIrd century equipment), I think that there is quite possible that lighter form of headgear existed between passing out of imperial italic series and arrival of intercisa and spangenhelms.
Regards,
Juliusz
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - Jona Lendering - 07-29-2008
![[Image: istanbul_beyazit_i_adiutrix_iam1.JPG]](http://www.livius.org/a/1/legio/i_adiutrix/istanbul_beyazit_i_adiutrix_iam1.JPG)
This is the Aurelius Suro mentioned above, but as far as I know, it's first-century.
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - jho - 07-29-2008
THat is definitely a possibility. However, I am not so sure that there was an actual need for a "lighter" helmet. I have never worn a reconstructed Niederbieber helmet but Junkelmann attests that due to the generally much thinner material from which they were made, they are lighter and more comfortable than most early imperial helmets.
This is certainly something that members of this forum can confirm or reject.
Also, there is a possibility that lighter troops may have simply worn the Niederbieber helmets without cheek pieces. The troopers on the "Helena" sarcophagus appear to wear something of this sort.
Maybe I am wary about the Morion idea because this is exactly the way in which my six year old son draws hats!
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - jho - 07-29-2008
Quote:This is the Aurelius Suro mentioned above, but as far as I know, it's first-century.
Jona,
Thank you and LAUS for the pictures.
I would be surprised if it were first-century given the scabbard slide and the Ringschnallen-cingulum.
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - triarius354 - 07-29-2008
Jona,
Bishop&Coulston are refering to Aurelius Surus gravestone in RME in the chapter "Army in Crisis". I believe it is in late IInd - III rd century date - the belt buckle and scabard slide of the sword suggesting it.
jho,
there is an example of something like light helmet - it looks like montefortino seen from the front - on the gravestone of Gaius Ottiedius Attianus (in imagebase, dated IIIrd century). I also wasn't wearing heddernheim style helmet, but I think that even with removed cheek-pieces it wouldn't be very well suited for skirmisher. Maybe in fact someone who have one can confirm/reject this.
And yes, If you can, I would be graetful for the Cobannus publication
Regards,
Juliusz
Regards,
Juliusz
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - triarius354 - 07-29-2008
jho,
same opinion about Surus equipment
posted mine to late
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - jho - 07-29-2008
Juliusz,
PM me your email address and I will look it up and send it to you.
To me Attianus is definitely NOT 3rd century AD.
The tombstones is "Dated to the 3rd century AD based on the exactness of his age, which came into vogue in that period."
The tombstone shows sword and dagger on separate belts with terminals which is 1st century AD style. As you say, the helmet is also 1st century style. This leads me to conclude that Attianus was a 1st century guardsman who was unusually anal about his age.
If the tombstone turned out to be 3rd century, it would be striking evidence for the theory that guardsmen generally use p"old-fashioned" equiment similar to modern guard units.
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - triarius354 - 07-29-2008
jho,
It woluldn't be surprising if Italy-based city and praetorian cohorts (marines also?) were using old-fasioned gear, think of republican-style scuta on Louvre relief. You are of course right about the sword and dagger belts of Attianus
It is interesting if this was also the case in the eastern part of the Empire. Maybe helmets looking like earlier hellenistic models, like praetorians (?)on Barberini mosaic are in fact "antiquated" models. Wonder what the defenders of Athens under Dexippos during the Gothic invasion where armed :?
Regards,
Juliusz
Re: Third century gravestones showing equipment - jho - 07-29-2008
email sent with Cobannus pics.