01-17-2008, 05:12 PM
Talking of AD Roman Army:
J. Obmann, Waffen - Statuszeichen oder alltäglicher Gebrauchsgegenstand? in: H. v. Hesberg (ed.), Das Militär als Kulturträger in römischer Zeit, Köln, 1999.
Obmann makes quite a point that we in fact do not have any safe evidence for the Crista Tranversa except for the quotation by Vegetius, which does not hold against a critical interpretation of Vegetius´work.
All helmets which have fastenings for a crista do show only a front-back fastening, the crista holders we have as individual findings seem to show the same feature: Front-back.
Two tombstones from Carnuntum and Poetovio (see above) show a transverse crest but also transverse cheek pieces, which is a dillemma, as thus they are no longer a valuable source for this question. (Ask yourself what you would see, if the crista were displayed turned by 90°, or if the cheek pieces were in their actual position - The Romans knew a way to display e.g. cheek pieces from an angeld view, see Trajan´s column, for example)
I don´t want to take a position here except to say that Obmann´s thoughts are quite plausible to me.
I am wondering if this is yet another "myth" which we all take for granted ?
J. Obmann, Waffen - Statuszeichen oder alltäglicher Gebrauchsgegenstand? in: H. v. Hesberg (ed.), Das Militär als Kulturträger in römischer Zeit, Köln, 1999.
Obmann makes quite a point that we in fact do not have any safe evidence for the Crista Tranversa except for the quotation by Vegetius, which does not hold against a critical interpretation of Vegetius´work.
All helmets which have fastenings for a crista do show only a front-back fastening, the crista holders we have as individual findings seem to show the same feature: Front-back.
Two tombstones from Carnuntum and Poetovio (see above) show a transverse crest but also transverse cheek pieces, which is a dillemma, as thus they are no longer a valuable source for this question. (Ask yourself what you would see, if the crista were displayed turned by 90°, or if the cheek pieces were in their actual position - The Romans knew a way to display e.g. cheek pieces from an angeld view, see Trajan´s column, for example)
I don´t want to take a position here except to say that Obmann´s thoughts are quite plausible to me.
I am wondering if this is yet another "myth" which we all take for granted ?
Christian K.
No reconstruendum => No reconstruction.
Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas.
No reconstruendum => No reconstruction.
Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas.
