Bracers

[Matt Lukes]

Avete,<br>
<br>
Now I know that Romans wearing bracers is a Hollywood invention, but recently I saw a photo of a re-enactor (I can't recally where at the moment) who was wearing one short bracer on his left wrist- presumably to protect it from the Scutum- my question is, does anyone know of any evidence that this was a real practice or would it just be an experiment in what makes sense? To be honest, it seems like a much better idea to me than somehow attaching padding to the Scutum itself.<br>
<br>
Valete<br>
<br>
Matt <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Hi,<br>
<br>
Yes, they did exist.<br>
<img src="http://www.cotswold.gov.uk/media/museum/Roman/A160.jpg" style="border:0;"/><br>
<br>
This is from the Corinium museum, and the write up states:- "This is a well-carved fragment; the hand is approximately half-size and grasps the shaft of a lance cut square rather than round; on the wrist is a band circa 0.015 m. to 0.02 m. wide with turned-over terminals. Griffiths has noted a similar feature on the tombstone of the trooper, T. Flavius Bassus, of the Ala Noricorum, who was buried at Cologne, and also on that of the centurion M. Caelius of Legio XVIII, who wears a broad band on both bare wrists (no doubt hinged at the back). The Aquilifer Cn. Musius, of Legio XIV Gemina, is shown on his stele at Mainz with a band of four ridges fastened to the wrist of his right arm only. Finally there are faint indications of a band on the right wrist of Flavius, standard bearer of the Ala Petriana, whose tombstone is in Hexham Abbey. As all these wrist-bands are different, it must be presumed that they were personal items and not normal equipment. They would have provided protection to the inner side of the wrist where the blood-vessels are near the surface and therefore vulnerable to sword cuts. "<br>
<p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Ave,<br>
This is good news. As Matt says, padding on the scuta, which I have, seems a little odd. Not everything hollywood has done is completely wrong or without basis anyway. A lot, but not all.<br>
Vale, Florentius <p></p><i></i>

[Daniel S Peterson]

The four-ridged "bracer" on the Musius stele could very probably be an Armillae military decoration in the form of a coiled serpent, which was a popular style. Even if an award though, it might still offer some "armor" protection to the wrist.<br>
<br>
Dan <p></p><i></i>