03-04-2015, 07:54 PM
"In my opinion also the armour and clothing would be locally made"
As to clothing you would think so but the documentary evidence suggests otherwise. Weavers in Egypt were indeed supplying soldiers locally but also at least the armies in Cappadocia and Judaea. Meanwhile soldiers from Vindolanda in Britain were in Gaul to collect clothing.
Egypt seemed to be geared up for wool production as well as linen. Cotton was also imported through there and grown across North Africa. It does not survive very well but it may have been more common than generally believed.
Gaul like Egypt was well known for woollens before the Romans. Likewise after the Romans arrived they presumably improved things even more and they were both major centres for clothing production quite capable of supplying large areas.
At times the Romans were very close to achieving uniformity, well as uniform as you can get in a pre-industrialised society. The army of the later Republic appears very uniform but the evidence both sculpturally and archaeology is sparse by comparison with later periods. Equally the third century army is very uniform in appearance. However both these periods ended in the chaos of civil wars and barbarian incursions which undoubtedly led to periods were equipment was less uniform. As usual our evidence is not great and open to speculation.
Why only 55 wearing such a specific style
That is Roman record keeping for you. At Vindolanda they were counting individual boot nails!
Graham.
As to clothing you would think so but the documentary evidence suggests otherwise. Weavers in Egypt were indeed supplying soldiers locally but also at least the armies in Cappadocia and Judaea. Meanwhile soldiers from Vindolanda in Britain were in Gaul to collect clothing.
Egypt seemed to be geared up for wool production as well as linen. Cotton was also imported through there and grown across North Africa. It does not survive very well but it may have been more common than generally believed.
Gaul like Egypt was well known for woollens before the Romans. Likewise after the Romans arrived they presumably improved things even more and they were both major centres for clothing production quite capable of supplying large areas.
At times the Romans were very close to achieving uniformity, well as uniform as you can get in a pre-industrialised society. The army of the later Republic appears very uniform but the evidence both sculpturally and archaeology is sparse by comparison with later periods. Equally the third century army is very uniform in appearance. However both these periods ended in the chaos of civil wars and barbarian incursions which undoubtedly led to periods were equipment was less uniform. As usual our evidence is not great and open to speculation.
Why only 55 wearing such a specific style
That is Roman record keeping for you. At Vindolanda they were counting individual boot nails!
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
