02-16-2007, 05:17 PM
Hello Patrik
The only certain evidence available for the size of a Roman military tunic is a papyrus document from Egypt now known as BGU1564 which dates from the mid second century AD. It describes the purchase of a tunic and cloaks and blankets for the army in Cappadocia.
The tunic dimensions in modern measurement are 1.55m long x 1.40m wide.
This of course is very large but some RAT members have made some successful attempts at reconstructing tunics of this size. Perhaps they might be kind enough to post pictures again.
Perhaps a tunic of this size was then altered to suit the individual and tunics like those found at Nahal Hever in Israel might be regarded as more normal. One example was 1.0m long x 1.15m wide.
Incidentally the sagum cloaks in BGU1564 were 2.66m long x 1.77m wide the same size as the blankets.
To date I have found no clear evidence for any first century tunics in blue, naval or otherwise however a tombstone of a cavalryman T. Flavius Draccus found in Austria had some blue paint surviving on the 'clothing' on his tombstone. Sadly this was one of the few tombstones which only showed a head and shoulders portrait so it is not clear if the blue garment is a tunic, cloak or scarf.
Many Roman period portraits of soldiers found in Egypt do show dark blue cloaks and there are also red, white and green cloaks either mentioned in Roman sources or shown in Roman art. However by far the most common colour is a yellow brown. In the first century AD the Paenula type cloak was more common but by the second century it was the sagum.
Graham.
The only certain evidence available for the size of a Roman military tunic is a papyrus document from Egypt now known as BGU1564 which dates from the mid second century AD. It describes the purchase of a tunic and cloaks and blankets for the army in Cappadocia.
The tunic dimensions in modern measurement are 1.55m long x 1.40m wide.
This of course is very large but some RAT members have made some successful attempts at reconstructing tunics of this size. Perhaps they might be kind enough to post pictures again.
Perhaps a tunic of this size was then altered to suit the individual and tunics like those found at Nahal Hever in Israel might be regarded as more normal. One example was 1.0m long x 1.15m wide.
Incidentally the sagum cloaks in BGU1564 were 2.66m long x 1.77m wide the same size as the blankets.
To date I have found no clear evidence for any first century tunics in blue, naval or otherwise however a tombstone of a cavalryman T. Flavius Draccus found in Austria had some blue paint surviving on the 'clothing' on his tombstone. Sadly this was one of the few tombstones which only showed a head and shoulders portrait so it is not clear if the blue garment is a tunic, cloak or scarf.
Many Roman period portraits of soldiers found in Egypt do show dark blue cloaks and there are also red, white and green cloaks either mentioned in Roman sources or shown in Roman art. However by far the most common colour is a yellow brown. In the first century AD the Paenula type cloak was more common but by the second century it was the sagum.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
