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Salve,
What kind of shield was the most common for an infantryman in the Roman army, late 4th, early 5th century? Flat or dished? Round or oval?
What kind calcei did a soldier wear around this time? Which type is appropriate for this period?
Thanks in advance,
Valete,
Marcus
Jef Pinceel
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I am so not going to enter the shield wars
However, as to shoes, the fourth/fifth centuries are already on the other end of the Great Turnshoe Divide, so your most likely footwear will be a turnshoe, not a calceus.
Der Kessel ist voll Bärks!
Volker Bach
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Quote:What kind of shield was the most common for an infantryman in the Roman army, late 4th, early 5th century? Flat or dished? Round or oval?
If anything even existed that we can call 'most common'..
I'd say oval or round, and dished, but I expect flat could be used, too...
So you can't go wrong with either type, I suppose!
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So dished is slghtly better than flat? I think oval or round are both ok.
Now about the shoes. What kind did a late roman soldier wear? Did they wear 'turnshoes', if so, what do they look like? Anyone has got a picture?
Best regards,
Marcus
Jef Pinceel
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Well, these are mine but they were intended for cavalrymen and/or officers, not for infantrymen.
Shoes for infantrymen where probably studded ones in their majority. I recall some fragmentary ones recovered at Coppergate, York. As far as our knowledge reaches, the kind of shoes in fashion during 4th/5th century were low ones, not boots, like those in vogue until the end of 3rd century (always AD). I have been unable to convince people in my group to be so accurate :evil: and they are wearing 3rd century hobnailed eyelet boots...
Aitor
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How far have you marched in those leather slippers Aitor? Are they hobnailed in the traditional Roman fashion? Is it feasible that a legion would be shod with those? or with calcei?
~ Paul Elliott
The Last Legionary
This book details the lives of Late Roman legionaries garrisoned in Britain in 400AD. It covers everything from battle to rations, camp duties to clothing.
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Paul,
That kind of shoes, identified with the 'campagi militares' mentioned on Diocletian's price edict are not intended for marches and they were not hobnailed. They are rather showy footwear for late Roman cavalrymen and officers as if for boasting: 'Look, I don't need to walk'!
There were, of course, still hobnailed shoes and, probably, boots but, as I've mentioned in my previous post, the fashion during fourth and fifth centuries was to wear low shoes.
The integral lace going under the instep appears also on the so-called Tetrarchs' statues at Venice but their shoes are heavier (albeit low), soled ones, probably hobaniled, too.
Aitor
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Quote:So dished is slghtly better than flat?
They offer more protection so yes, I'd say dished is better.
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These are mine: Studded.
Ivan Perelló
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Aitor,
Why the punched holes around the top right of the shoe? It looks like the leather was punched in preparation for sewing another piece of leather to it (ie, more "practical" hole pattern, than aesthetic).
Just curious. Beautiful shoes.
Britannicus
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They appear more as decorative elements for the shoes, IMHO. :wink:
Lucius Aurelius Metellus
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Yes, Gaius, they are purely decorative, like the scalloping along the border, and they reapeat on the other campagus coming from the Deurne find.
And thanks for your kind opinion!
Aitor
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You're welcome! I just call 'em like I see 'em.
The pattern looks like a turn shoe pattern, but I see a seam in the back of the heel...could these be made from one piece or did you try that and it was horrible?
Britannicus
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Aitor: Why are cavalry carbatinae-calcei not studded?
Ivan Perelló
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OK, OK, guys, I returned home yesterday from TÃ rraco Viva after five hours driving and now I'm again at work and two thirds of my neurones are on strike... :roll:
Gaius,
The campagi could be called turnshoes in the sense that they must be turned out after sewing. I'm using an original late Roman pattern from one of the Deurne find shoes and the back seam is a repeated feature in all the archaeological campagi (Deurne, Vindolanda, Cuijk)
Faventianus,
Mmmhh, I could start lecturing but ... it is easier to say that late Roman cavalry shoes were that way during that period and you should ask the Romans why designed and constructed such flimsy shoes as the campagi are... :wink:
Aitor
It\'s all an accident, an accident of hands. Mine, others, all without mind, from one extreme to another, but neither works nor will ever.
Rolf Steiner
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