08-15-2003, 09:11 AM
Quote:</em></strong><hr> If they were worried about the cost of anything, they wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to make all those loricae with all those VERY unnecessarily complicated and ornate hinges and fittings, not to mention fabulously decorated helmets, scabbards, belts, and more. Give up the old myth of "practical" Romans, really!<hr><br>
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<strong>Waugh!</strong> On this I will have to call you. In technlogy, simplicity comes from evolution... I forget where I read it, but the more elegant solutions take time to reach. Just because it is complicated, we tend to think they did it this way on purpose, perhaps it was built complicated because that was what they figured out first. Who knows... maybe I'm wrong, but if you had no knowledge of armor and had to design something, it might be just this complicated.<br>
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Quote:</em></strong><hr> Well, it ain't the gregarii making the decisions. I have heard that British army NCOs in the early 20th century almost mutinied when all the brass buckles and rings on the belt gear were eliminated in favor of black metal--there was a lot less for the men to polish!<hr><br>
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No, but... it ain't like nowadays w/ tons of time to "make work." They had tons of @#%$ to do EVERY day. If you have to make camp at the end of every day's march and set up all the stuff and come up w/ food and firewood, etc. is there really enough time?<br>
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Quote:</em></strong><hr> But labor was free! You got all those soldiers sitting around, waiting for their armor! Actually making the armor may have been the job of hired contractors, but they all used slaves as labor. Mind you, I'm only saying it was bright metal, satin finish, not mirror-polished for the iron and steel, at least.<hr><br>
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Quintus sir, why not try it at your next few events? Don't use ANY modern cleaners, polish, etc. Only what they had then. And then try and keep your kit up. Also, wasn't cloth pretty pricey back then? What would you use w/ your sand and wood ashes to polish said armor?<br>
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I do agree w/ what you said about the blackening scraping off, but what do I know? I nominate Magnus to build us a time machine to go and see. <p>DECIMUS MERCATIUS VARIANUS<br>
Netscape Aim/AOL screen name: Sturmkatze<br>
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Alteris renumera duplum de quoquo tibi numeraverunt.</p><i></i>
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<strong>Waugh!</strong> On this I will have to call you. In technlogy, simplicity comes from evolution... I forget where I read it, but the more elegant solutions take time to reach. Just because it is complicated, we tend to think they did it this way on purpose, perhaps it was built complicated because that was what they figured out first. Who knows... maybe I'm wrong, but if you had no knowledge of armor and had to design something, it might be just this complicated.<br>
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Quote:</em></strong><hr> Well, it ain't the gregarii making the decisions. I have heard that British army NCOs in the early 20th century almost mutinied when all the brass buckles and rings on the belt gear were eliminated in favor of black metal--there was a lot less for the men to polish!<hr><br>
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No, but... it ain't like nowadays w/ tons of time to "make work." They had tons of @#%$ to do EVERY day. If you have to make camp at the end of every day's march and set up all the stuff and come up w/ food and firewood, etc. is there really enough time?<br>
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Quote:</em></strong><hr> But labor was free! You got all those soldiers sitting around, waiting for their armor! Actually making the armor may have been the job of hired contractors, but they all used slaves as labor. Mind you, I'm only saying it was bright metal, satin finish, not mirror-polished for the iron and steel, at least.<hr><br>
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Quintus sir, why not try it at your next few events? Don't use ANY modern cleaners, polish, etc. Only what they had then. And then try and keep your kit up. Also, wasn't cloth pretty pricey back then? What would you use w/ your sand and wood ashes to polish said armor?<br>
<br>
I do agree w/ what you said about the blackening scraping off, but what do I know? I nominate Magnus to build us a time machine to go and see. <p>DECIMUS MERCATIUS VARIANUS<br>
Netscape Aim/AOL screen name: Sturmkatze<br>
<br>
Alteris renumera duplum de quoquo tibi numeraverunt.</p><i></i>
DECIMvS MERCATIvS VARIANvS
a.k.a.: Marsh Wise
Legio IX Hispana www.legioix.org
Alteris renumera duplum de quoquo tibi numeraverunt
"A fondness for power is implanted in most men, and it is natural to abuse it when acquired." -- Alexander Hamilton
"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.... But then I repeat myself." ~Mark Twain
a.k.a.: Marsh Wise
Legio IX Hispana www.legioix.org
Alteris renumera duplum de quoquo tibi numeraverunt
"A fondness for power is implanted in most men, and it is natural to abuse it when acquired." -- Alexander Hamilton
"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.... But then I repeat myself." ~Mark Twain
[img size=150]http://www.romanobritain.org/Graphics/marsh_qr1.png[/img]
(Oooh, Marshall, you cannot use an icky modern QR code, it is against all policies and rules.)
