10-30-2010, 09:16 PM
I don't think there is any doubt that Roman commanders and soldiers liked their armour to shine. In addition to the depictions of shiny armour in wall paintings mentioned elsewhere on this board, there are references to gleaming or shining armour - as in polished to a shine - in the extant literature of the time. Two examples from Josephus' Jewish War (references to the Greek not Slavonic version*):
In 3.262 the besieged at Jotapata react with dismay:
"when they saw, moreover, at the foot of the
ruined walls the enemy sword in hand, and
above them the mountain-side gleaming with
arms and higher still the arrows of the
Arab archers pointed at the town,...
Not only the Romans: in 4.243 Jesus son of Gamala says to the Idumaeans:
"You, on the other hand,
in your numbers and shining armour
present an appearance such as would become you
had the capital in public council
summoned you to its aid
against the foreigner."
The real question is 'how shiny was the armour?' The 'how shiny is shiny' debate regularly occurs between members of The Ermine Street Guard. As modern re-enactors we normally use 3M™ Wetordry™ Tri-M-ite™ sandpaper or an abrasive block to achieve a near mirror finish. Many of us have argued for a lesser lustre. Without modern abrasives - unavailable to ancient troops - plate iron or steel can only be brightened to a certain extent but the effect is never as shiny as, say, a silvered or tinned surface. We have speculated about burnishing with a solution of sand suspended in olive oil, or with sections of chain mail - but those ideas are only speculative.
* Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=gu5HI- ... ng&f=false
In 3.262 the besieged at Jotapata react with dismay:
"when they saw, moreover, at the foot of the
ruined walls the enemy sword in hand, and
above them the mountain-side gleaming with
arms and higher still the arrows of the
Arab archers pointed at the town,...
Not only the Romans: in 4.243 Jesus son of Gamala says to the Idumaeans:
"You, on the other hand,
in your numbers and shining armour
present an appearance such as would become you
had the capital in public council
summoned you to its aid
against the foreigner."
The real question is 'how shiny was the armour?' The 'how shiny is shiny' debate regularly occurs between members of The Ermine Street Guard. As modern re-enactors we normally use 3M™ Wetordry™ Tri-M-ite™ sandpaper or an abrasive block to achieve a near mirror finish. Many of us have argued for a lesser lustre. Without modern abrasives - unavailable to ancient troops - plate iron or steel can only be brightened to a certain extent but the effect is never as shiny as, say, a silvered or tinned surface. We have speculated about burnishing with a solution of sand suspended in olive oil, or with sections of chain mail - but those ideas are only speculative.
* Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=gu5HI- ... ng&f=false
