10-05-2013, 07:26 AM
Hi all
I have been looking through various forums, sites etc. for the answer to one simple question. Why did some cohorts/ legions have different colored shields/tunics? For instance when watching Roman-based movies the majority of legionaries one will see have the usual red tunic underneath a suit of (usually) steel armor along with the famous rectangular shield (also red). But what gets me is that in various scenes, for instance in Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' the opening scene is an array of roman troops lining up for a battle in modern day-Germany all legionaries seen are in the classic red-uniform and yet when the scene moves to a member of the Sennett( Marcus Aurelius)who happens to be over watching the preparation for battle, he is being guarded by a group of legionaries who are wearing the same steel armor as the others, but their shield and tunic are of a royal blue sort of color.
For example:
[attachment=8109]legionary-segmentata-01.jpg[/attachment]
This gets me all the time, why are these Legionaries wearing blue? This repeats itself regularly, sometimes the soldiers are in white, and in one instance purple.
Why is this?
Kind regards, Jack
I have been looking through various forums, sites etc. for the answer to one simple question. Why did some cohorts/ legions have different colored shields/tunics? For instance when watching Roman-based movies the majority of legionaries one will see have the usual red tunic underneath a suit of (usually) steel armor along with the famous rectangular shield (also red). But what gets me is that in various scenes, for instance in Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' the opening scene is an array of roman troops lining up for a battle in modern day-Germany all legionaries seen are in the classic red-uniform and yet when the scene moves to a member of the Sennett( Marcus Aurelius)who happens to be over watching the preparation for battle, he is being guarded by a group of legionaries who are wearing the same steel armor as the others, but their shield and tunic are of a royal blue sort of color.
For example:
[attachment=8109]legionary-segmentata-01.jpg[/attachment]
This gets me all the time, why are these Legionaries wearing blue? This repeats itself regularly, sometimes the soldiers are in white, and in one instance purple.
Why is this?
Kind regards, Jack
