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+--- Thread: background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" (/showthread.php?tid=24166)
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - Xavi - 08-17-2014
Hi,
I´m making some research for a book about roman army.
I will like to know all information available about the background image in the main page of soldiers wearing oval shields and feather decorated helmets. I thing It belongs to a relief in Cumae.
Thanks in advance.
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - AMELIANVS - 08-18-2014
It is indeed from Cumae.They probably represent Praetorians and are from later 1st century likely from Flavian dynasty times.Feathered helmets were normal at that time for all grades of the Roman soldiers.Some argue they have light leather armour on their torso but to me it seems too much inconclusive to know if they are right or not.Those with armour have typical head of Gorgona on their breast.It is hard to decide if they are equiped with swords or with the daggers but at this time daggers were usually worn by common soldiers at their left not on the right side like here.
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - Xavi - 08-18-2014
Thanks for your reply Pavel. The relief looks to be older, because of the way they tie the belts, without buckle. The four "pteriges" comes from tieing together the two belts. Also the loricas are very different from other sources.
Sorry for any misspelings. I´m not English.
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - Decebalus - 08-18-2014
As the relief is in the "Altes Museum" in Berlin, I took the the opportunity too look at it by myself some time ago.
The surfaces of the armour is very worn but luckily you can study it at short range and see that at least on the frontal figures there is clearly scale armour depicted.
Provinience and date like Pavel said.
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - AMELIANVS - 08-18-2014
I'm not good in english as well so I would not probably even recognize grammatical errors from your side :wink: If their identification as Praetorians is correct than their archaic visage might be explained simply by this.It seems Praetorians(at least during 1st century and when on parades or ceremonies in Rome)retained some older parts of military equipment from Republican times longer than normal Roman soldiers.
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - Xavi - 08-18-2014
Hi Decebalus
Do you mean, the scales are in the ones that look to be officers, or in all of them? I will like to find a good picture of this relief!
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - Decebalus - 08-19-2014
Xavi, I mean all of the front rank figures are wearing scale armour.
The man far right, turning his (mostly missing) head to the soldiers, could be the leader of the group. As he wears (apart from one background figure) only a tunic with no body armour and a helmet with more feathers than the others he might be an officer.
The scales are best visible on the next two men besides him.
[attachment=10544]ReliefCumae-1.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=10545]ReliefCumae-2.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=10546]ReliefCumae-3.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=10547]ReliefCumae-4.jpg[/attachment]
I've made these photos in pre-digital times and the quality was the best I could achieve without flash in bad light condition.
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - Xavi - 08-19-2014
Thanks so much.
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - Nathan Ross - 08-19-2014
Fantastic detail - thanks! I can't make out the scales, I'm afraid, but I'll take your word for it. Those 'doughnut' helmet crests are interesting - like the ones on Trajan's Column...
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - Decebalus - 08-20-2014
Some further information about the relief (in German) can be found here
Interesting to note that in the description the leading figure has a sword with eagle hilt.
background image in \"ROMAN ARMY TALK\" - Xavi - 08-20-2014
Very interesting information. Thanks a lot Decebalus