03-09-2008, 05:48 PM
Quote:P.S. Does anyone know the significance of covering themselves with chalk ? Was it just religious/ ceremonial or to stop heat exhaustion/ sunstroke due to them being naked ?
The Gaesatae never did cover themselves with chalk...We have no historical account about that...We know that celtic warriors used mortar to keep their hair stiff, and maybe the Keltengruppe Carnyx made a bit of confusion.
The Gaesatae were in fact sacred mercenaries, that fought nude to demonstrate their courage...however not all of them...Plutarch, in "Life of Marcellus" writing about the Gaesatae commander Viridomar, report that he weared a golden armour.
Their name means "bearers of Gaesum", and the Gaesum was an all-iron javelin, called also "soliferreum" by the romans.