Marcus Aurelian Legionary!

[Theodosius the Great]

Thank you for the praise, Promotius.

Where's that baldric disc with the eagle coming from? Looks a little like a modern item, but it fits well into the general impression!

The disc is actually a horse brass I bought from eBay for only $10 USD. Using a dremel I cut off the handle bar mounted at the top and soldered it to the back side making it into a buckle. I too think it looks really good for a modern ornament (not to mention the price :wink: )



I actually plan to embroider the baldric with a dolphin motif based on an actual baldric found in the bogs of Denmark (?)

I've never gotten it caught between the plates. I suppose it could happen though.

Oh, mighty Theodosius! It CAN happen - I know

Well that's something I can look forward to then :lol:

I assume you have the same problem with not being able to raise your head very far due to the helmet's low neck guard ? Unless of course your helmet isn't made by Deepeeka.

Niedermoermter + Newstead: several of the guys in our group (LEG III ITAL ANT) wear this combination, too.

Oh right ! I remember visiting your website now. What a great group to be in by the looks of it

Painted lance shaft - a red spiral around the shaft would also be ok

A candy cane peppermint motif :lol:

Seriously though, are the Dura examples the earliest evidence we have of the Romans painting their spears or pila in this manner ? And was there a practical purpose for doing so ? Maybe it prevented the wood from rotting ?

~Theo

[Aetius Helvius Merula]

Nice! I like the eagle! It'd look good on a standard.

[FlaviusCrispus]

caiustarquitius wrote:

It in fact looks great. However it is quite good that it is rarely seen, since the archaeological evidnce from the Raetian limes suggests that they were not used here in such large numbers, at that time scale and mail seems to have been far more popular.

We have to be a little careful, there. The Aurelian Column (reign of Commodus) still shows a significant number of soldiers wearing the lorica seg. Also, our experience with the Newstead cuirass shows that is far less likely to fall apart and leave nice little tidbits for future archaeologists to find than the Corbridge-- it's just a much sturdier design. The one thing that does show up with some abundance in archaological digs and random metal detector finds in the Balkans and Rhineland are those little "split pins" that fasten the girth hoops together, which is just what you'd expect. So I'd wager the Newstead cuirass or variants were rather more common than the archaeology, which seems to take the abundant remnants of the Corbridge type as its baseline, might indicate.

[Tarbicus]

We have to be a little careful, there.

Yup. From the last quarter of the 3rd Century:
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... 3607#93607

[Quintius Lucius Cato]

Those images are pretty hot Just wondering when did the roman army really start to become noticeably different, I mean there are obvious differences with this image compared to a legionary of 100 AD but they still have many similar aspects eg Lorica Segmenta, Scutum. What I'm asking is when did the roman legionary really become unrecognizable to a legionary of around 100 AD ?

[tlclark]

Travis, your impression looks fantastic. Go on, paint the spear shaft!

Wrong Theo!

He's Theodosius, I'm Theodoros (Travis)

Theo,

GREAT Impression. So you have a late roman, 6th C. 1st and a 2nd C impression?!! You are a walking Roman timeline all by yourself!

[Tarbicus]

I know, I know, mea culpa. I already apologised..... to him :wink:

[tlclark]

I know, I know, mea culpa. I already apologised..... to him :wink:

I know, I just have to get my pot shots in when I can... I'm a small man that way :wink:

[caiusbeerquitius]

So I'd wager the Newstead cuirass or variants were rather more common than the archaeology, which seems to take the abundant remnants of the Corbridge type as its baseline, might indicate.

Right. Agree fully. That´s why I wrote:

from the Raetian limes suggests that they were not used here in such large numbers

, since there is far less evidence for the segmentata in Raetia for this period than in the other areas. Seems to be a fashion-thing. Most of the Roman forts along the Raetian limes have been excavated quite carefully, and the catalogues hint to what I say by the numbers of scale (most finds), mail and segmentata ( not so many finds of hinges etc.) findings during the early and middle 3rd century.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

A 'we wanna be cataphracts' mentality maybe?

[Flavius Promotus]

Caiustarquitius wrote:

there is far less evidence for the segmentata in Raetia for this period than in the other areas

Ok, but there IS evidence, just think of the Newstead from Eining. And at least one of those little "split pins" from the girdle loops is on display in the Regensburg museum :wink:

[caiusbeerquitius]

That´s what I said. "less evidence", not "no evidence"

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

That´s what I said. "less evidence = not no evidence"

Theres not no evidence/ Is this correct?
or was it there weren't not none?
I am lost.....whats the evidence that there were some there?

pictures please...!
:twisted: :twisted:

[caiusbeerquitius]

Aaargh.
There is evidence for lorica segmentata in Raetia, but less than in other provinces. 3rd century.

[Flavius Promotus]

Problem is, in the upper Danube area a helluvalot of Newstead pieces were found at the legionary base of Carnuntum, which was not resettled after the late Roman period = excavations could and can be done relatively easily.
Regensburg was a less important base than Carnuntum, so perhaps less equipment got lost here, but Regensburg still has her medieval structure and didn't suffer from extensive bomb attacks in the last war - so excavations are rather rare...