01-13-2006, 12:18 AM
Quote:Seems that non-uniformity is the only thing uniform about the Roman balteus.
About the Roman army in general, actually ;-)
Quote:I especially enjoyed the reference to the plate at the top of the apron. Did this show up very often?
It's on a number of the finer Rhineland tombstones from the Tiberio-Claudian period. It seems to have formed part of the apron once it stopped being just an extension of the belt.
Quote:Also, I find it fascinating that so many milites wore two belts. I thought that was reserved for Centurions and above. Was this more common in the Republican period?
Little evidence for the Republican period, but you find it in the Imperial period up to Flavian times (the Herculaneum 'soldier' had two belts). Don't know where the centurions idea came from: plenty of ordinary milites are shown with two belts on tombstones. Take a look at the image gallery on romanarmy.com.
Quote:When did they move toward baldrics?
Baldrics are certainly around in the Flavian period but it is uncertain when they began to be introduced (my guess would be earlier).
Mike Bishop
