Reenactment Legion Uniformity vs Variety

[caiusbeerquitius]

Basically yes. It was more about the method, what I said. IMO it makes more sense to first look at what evidence is there, and then make educated guesses. Here the question was:

"Why would there be soldiers that have no metal body armour?"

The first logical step would be to look at literary and pictorial sources, and to try to find an answer. If you make up ideas first, then you will find yourself hunting for proof for these.

As far as reconstructions or reproductions are concerned:
IMO it is always better to look for originals and try to copy these. Within certain lines one can make slight alterations, to make the object fit the complete impression. An elephant on a shield cover would be e.g. out of line IMO, a tabula ansata with different letters or numbers than on found examples wouldn´t. In this way you are able to save a lot of money, since often the "made up items" have to be tossed out after a while, when new proof shows up. If you go to public events, made up items are IMO irresponsible, since one has, whether one wants to or not, an educational function. I know there are other opinions about this, but this one is mine.


As far as uniformity is concerned: meanwhile there is really a large number of original items that can be copied (not for the Republic, O.K.), so the diversity can easily be displayed.

BTW: coloured shield covers, now that would be sthg. ... red, blue, green, or mixes. IMO many groups are generally too monochromatic, and all in all not colourful enough.