09-17-2004, 08:59 PM
Avete!<br>
<br>
It hadn't even occurred to me that Legionaries might mark all their weapons and armor until I saw a beautiful Pompeii gladius blade (the one with the mail-splitting tip) with the former owner's name stamped into the steel by the hand guard. Since they had to pay for it all one way or another, it makes perfect sense that they'd mark it so, as was said, 'it doesn't walk off' It actually strikes me as one of those neat little details that makes our reconstruction objects that little bit more authentic-looking.<br>
<br>
I've painted 'LEGVIII' and 'AVG' in the Tabula ansatae on the front of my new Scutum- simply because I've seen authentic bricks with this marking in a TA, and it seems reasonable enough that if it was done in one place, it might have been done in another. I'm very pleased with how it looks- it's just a shame that I'll have to more-or-less guess at how the name, Cohort, etc. painted on the inside somewhere might have looked. I'd love to have just one example of how this was really done to back up my choice.<br>
<br>
Thanks for all the information guys- it's quite fascinating!<br>
<br>
Valete<br>
<br>
Matt <p></p><i></i>
<br>
It hadn't even occurred to me that Legionaries might mark all their weapons and armor until I saw a beautiful Pompeii gladius blade (the one with the mail-splitting tip) with the former owner's name stamped into the steel by the hand guard. Since they had to pay for it all one way or another, it makes perfect sense that they'd mark it so, as was said, 'it doesn't walk off' It actually strikes me as one of those neat little details that makes our reconstruction objects that little bit more authentic-looking.<br>
<br>
I've painted 'LEGVIII' and 'AVG' in the Tabula ansatae on the front of my new Scutum- simply because I've seen authentic bricks with this marking in a TA, and it seems reasonable enough that if it was done in one place, it might have been done in another. I'm very pleased with how it looks- it's just a shame that I'll have to more-or-less guess at how the name, Cohort, etc. painted on the inside somewhere might have looked. I'd love to have just one example of how this was really done to back up my choice.<br>
<br>
Thanks for all the information guys- it's quite fascinating!<br>
<br>
Valete<br>
<br>
Matt <p></p><i></i>
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