A Legionary of the Marcomannic Wars.

[LvpvsRomanvs]

I was reading the "Imperial Roman Legionary AD 161-284" (Ross Cowan. Illustrated by Angus McBride) when I came across one of the plates (plate B) depicting a Legionary Centurion during the era of the Marcomannic wars 166-180 C.E. (apologies for the bad quality - I had to take the pictures with my webcam).

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This is the description of the plate:

The centurion is identified by his long-sleeved red tunic. He is heavily bearded as was the fashion at this time. His helmet is a bronze Imperial Italic H, the last in the exceptional series of legionary helmets developed from Gallic prototypes since the mid-1st century BC. It is uncertain if centurions stil wore transverse helmet crests (Vegetius, Epitome, 2.14) He wears an old-fashioned ring-mail shirt with shoulder doublings, an armour popular in the 1st century AD but some shirts could still have been in service. His baldric and belt follow the example from the soldier's grave at Lyon, probably dating to 197. This style of belt and broad baldric, with strap-ends decorated with terminals, was popular throughout the 3rd century. The letters on the belt spell out FELIX VTERE - 'use with good luck'. His elaborate scabbard chape follows an example from Saalburg and his sword is the proto-pattern welded example from Canterbury. He also wears heavy leather gaiters which double as greaves. The trident and dolphin shield emblem follows a design on one of the Aurelian panels reused on the arch of Constantine. It is uncertain if it was an actual shield blazon or simply the result of the sculptor's imagination. (See Wuilleumier 1950; Bennett 1983; Bishop and Coulston 1993.)


(Imperial Roman Legionary AD 161-284. Ross Cowan. Illustrated by Angus McBride. (2003) p. 59-60)

The Centurion wears a long-sleeved tunic, Lorica Hamata and an Imperial Italic 'H'. I have seen other pictures depicting legionaries of that era with Segmentata and the Imperial Italic 'G' and 'H':

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Are there any other suggestions on what a legionary from this era would have appeared?