12-14-2011, 06:11 AM
Hello Jay and welcome to RAT!
Equipment would have been standardized to a point. Not every man in a 5,000 manned legion wore the same armor etc, as was wrongly said in another topic. Hamata never got out of use, nor squamata, and was quite popular. Lorica segmentata was equally popular in the eras it was around. It was cheaper, but like hamata, with serious pros and cons!
Romans polished and tinned their equipment to look nicer.Swords would be of the same style, but with different designs. Some very plain, some very intricate. Those of higher rank would have been able to afford more labor intensive equipment.
A legionary might have requested a certain design to be modified to his scabbard, or have his shield painted a different design, but in general all their equipment, of the same type was more or less the same. One hamata would look very much the same as another hamata, same with segmentata. Only small things like a sword's locket plate would look diffenent, and the large surface of a shield. Even a shield is up for debate, as as far as everything goes, we have only found so many examples, and those cannot speak for thousands of others.
Decor was in itself standardized too, but really one type of helmet would look very like it's sister helmet. If the helmet was unlucky, it would have two sisters that look the same, or, 50!
The Romans wouldn't go around with slogans on any of their equipment, but if likely for noticeable differences, I'd bet on it being the shield.
Nice collection btw
Sam
Equipment would have been standardized to a point. Not every man in a 5,000 manned legion wore the same armor etc, as was wrongly said in another topic. Hamata never got out of use, nor squamata, and was quite popular. Lorica segmentata was equally popular in the eras it was around. It was cheaper, but like hamata, with serious pros and cons!
Romans polished and tinned their equipment to look nicer.Swords would be of the same style, but with different designs. Some very plain, some very intricate. Those of higher rank would have been able to afford more labor intensive equipment.
A legionary might have requested a certain design to be modified to his scabbard, or have his shield painted a different design, but in general all their equipment, of the same type was more or less the same. One hamata would look very much the same as another hamata, same with segmentata. Only small things like a sword's locket plate would look diffenent, and the large surface of a shield. Even a shield is up for debate, as as far as everything goes, we have only found so many examples, and those cannot speak for thousands of others.
Decor was in itself standardized too, but really one type of helmet would look very like it's sister helmet. If the helmet was unlucky, it would have two sisters that look the same, or, 50!
The Romans wouldn't go around with slogans on any of their equipment, but if likely for noticeable differences, I'd bet on it being the shield.
Nice collection btw
Sam
Samuel J.
