04-15-2008, 09:05 PM
Peroni wrote:-
The 'simple' mail shirt without shoulder pieces can be seen on sculptures as early as 1st Century BC (e.g. the headless seated sculpture from Aix-en-Provence, though this is often identified as a Gaul. Some 1st Century AD auxiliary tomb sculptures also depict the 'simple' mail shirt....
Quote:The cape style doubling was used well into the second century by auxiliary cavalrymen. It may have added a lot more unnecessary weight to the infantryman's kit though....having said that, it should perhaps be mentioned that the mail worn by auxiliary cavalry and infantry on Trajan's column, and other Trajanic monuments show no shoulder re-inforcements of any kind, if I recall correctly. Similarly, none of the mail shirts, including legionary ones, on the Adamklissi monument have shoulder re-inforcements, even ( perhaps surprisingly) the legionaries equipped with re-inforced helmets, greaves and manica to take on Bastarnae tribesmen armed with two-handed falxes.
The shoulder doubling in the Greek style disappears in the mid second century for infantry soldiers too. This was probably dictated by the enemy fighting styles and weapons.
The 'simple' mail shirt without shoulder pieces can be seen on sculptures as early as 1st Century BC (e.g. the headless seated sculpture from Aix-en-Provence, though this is often identified as a Gaul. Some 1st Century AD auxiliary tomb sculptures also depict the 'simple' mail shirt....
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
