Veterans

[Quintius Clavus]

Very definitely one of the Herculaneum soldier's belts had an apron - I saw the belts/belt parts, the weapons and his tool kit when I saw the "Tales from an Eruption" tour of artifacts at the Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada in August 2006. I was there as part of a Roman reenactment display. Lee Holeva was there as well and took some photos of the belts, etc., which he posted up on RAT afterward. I purchased the so-called exhibit catalog and was hugely disappointed that the belts, etc. did not make it into the book. "Not artistic enough or something?" :x

The soldier could also have been serving with the Navy - the fleet base at Misenum was very near. And the "apron" wasn't just worn on legionary belts, but also by auxiliaries and thus might also have been worn by fleet soldiers (borrowing Sara Elisa Phang's term for naval personnel used in The Marriage of Roman Solders, Brill, 2001).

Considering that belts were items on which the soldiers lavished money - i.e. many may have been personally bought or at least embellished at the soldier's own expense, it would seem likely that he could take his belt with him into retirement.

Whether a veteran could take other items of equipment into retirement, is simply an unknown (and hotly debated in some circles).

Quinton Johansen
Marcus Quintius Clavus, Optio Secundae Pili Prioris Legionis III Cyrenaicae