12-23-2010, 12:22 PM
Piecing together an impression for 200AD, a thought occurred to me ...
Did leather pteruges generally replace the cingulum? The dating looks about right, with the cingulum dropping out of use in the second half of the 2nd century, and pteruges worn with segmentata and hamata coming in at about that time. More than that, is the change related to the adoption of trouser-wearing (also picked up en masse in the latter half of the 2nd century).
If trouser-wearing invited the demise of the cingulum, than perhaps one of its main uses really was to protect a legionary's modesty and keep his very short tunic down and his privates out of view of everyone around the camp-fire!!
Did leather pteruges generally replace the cingulum? The dating looks about right, with the cingulum dropping out of use in the second half of the 2nd century, and pteruges worn with segmentata and hamata coming in at about that time. More than that, is the change related to the adoption of trouser-wearing (also picked up en masse in the latter half of the 2nd century).
If trouser-wearing invited the demise of the cingulum, than perhaps one of its main uses really was to protect a legionary's modesty and keep his very short tunic down and his privates out of view of everyone around the camp-fire!!
Paul Elliott
Legions in Crisis
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/17815...d_i=468294
Charting the Third Century military crisis - with a focus on the change in weapons and tactics.
Legions in Crisis
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/17815...d_i=468294
Charting the Third Century military crisis - with a focus on the change in weapons and tactics.
