12-14-2008, 11:15 PM
Romans were not 'standardized' as we think of it today, they did not have a 'uniform' or an arrangement of wearing gear that is as regulated and strict as we think of it today
if having the belt over or under the baldric 'works' for someone, then I have no problem with it. All bodies are different and where the sword ends up hanging on one person to another will be different.
If someone is having a lot of trouble with the (sword) banging around or being in the way, certainly one can suggest they try doing it this way or that way and see if it works better for them.
we find evidence of one or two legionaries in sculpture that appears to have the sword 'high' and the belt not over the baldric...Does that mean that is what every single Roman soldier did? Nope!
I'm not convinced we have a 100% exact proof without a doubt answer as to how the belt(s) and baldric was worn. It changed over the course of 200 someodd years, and it likely changed slightly per individual soldier.
When you hand out rifles to soldiers today, is every single soldier going to be able to shoot comfortably and accurately with the sights at factory setup? Or is the soldier going to make little adjustments to make it work for them?
When you get into someone else's car, or a rental, or a new car - don't you have to adjust the mirrors, seat and steering wheel to make it comfortable for you to drive properly?
I don't see how that's so far different from both actual Romans how they wore their armaments and reenactors today.
Another approach is to say "Hey guys! I think I see another way of wearing the gladius, I tried it out and it totally changes the feel and way of drawing the sword! Try it sometime and lemme know what you think!"
This tends to work better than saying someone's approach is "silly" or "wrong".
attitudes are difficult to 'read' online, and things can get way blown out of proportion way too quickly.
if having the belt over or under the baldric 'works' for someone, then I have no problem with it. All bodies are different and where the sword ends up hanging on one person to another will be different.
If someone is having a lot of trouble with the (sword) banging around or being in the way, certainly one can suggest they try doing it this way or that way and see if it works better for them.
we find evidence of one or two legionaries in sculpture that appears to have the sword 'high' and the belt not over the baldric...Does that mean that is what every single Roman soldier did? Nope!
I'm not convinced we have a 100% exact proof without a doubt answer as to how the belt(s) and baldric was worn. It changed over the course of 200 someodd years, and it likely changed slightly per individual soldier.
When you hand out rifles to soldiers today, is every single soldier going to be able to shoot comfortably and accurately with the sights at factory setup? Or is the soldier going to make little adjustments to make it work for them?
When you get into someone else's car, or a rental, or a new car - don't you have to adjust the mirrors, seat and steering wheel to make it comfortable for you to drive properly?
I don't see how that's so far different from both actual Romans how they wore their armaments and reenactors today.
Another approach is to say "Hey guys! I think I see another way of wearing the gladius, I tried it out and it totally changes the feel and way of drawing the sword! Try it sometime and lemme know what you think!"
This tends to work better than saying someone's approach is "silly" or "wrong".
attitudes are difficult to 'read' online, and things can get way blown out of proportion way too quickly.
Andy Volpe
"Build a time machine, it would make this [hobby] a lot easier."
https://www.facebook.com/LegionIIICyr/
Legion III Cyrenaica ~ New England U.S.
Higgins Armory Museum 1931-2013 (worked there 2001-2013)
(Collection moved to Worcester Art Museum)
"Build a time machine, it would make this [hobby] a lot easier."
https://www.facebook.com/LegionIIICyr/
Legion III Cyrenaica ~ New England U.S.
Higgins Armory Museum 1931-2013 (worked there 2001-2013)
(Collection moved to Worcester Art Museum)
