Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
ESG Auxilia Question
#1
It is to my understanding that the Ermine Street Guard Auxilia went from white/off white tunics to red/madder red and then back to white to highlight differences to the public.

I have noticed, from the pics that I have seen, that their auxilia all seem to still wear hamata with out a doubler even though a doubler would be appropriate for first century auxilia. No doubler and sleeveless would seem appropiate also, but I was curious as to the logic/reasoning behind this? Is this to again highlight differences to the public, based on cost or armor, etc...

Is there something that I have overlooked?

Just curious and in no way shape or means attempting to be critical of the ESG.

thanks,
Mike
Mike Daniels
a.k.a

Titus Minicius Parthicus

Legio VI FFC.


If not me...who?

If not now...when?
:wink: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt=":wink:" title="Wink" />:wink:
Reply
#2
Gosh, I thought they started out with blue tunics? From what I've seen, the hamata with shoulder doubling is appropriate. The shorter shirt with sleeves and no doubling shows up on Trajan's Column, but that's early second century. And note that the Adamclissi reliefs still show the old-style hamata with doublings. So that style wasn't gone even then.

Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
Reply
#3
Hi chaps

Quote:It is to my understanding that the Ermine Street Guard Auxilia went from white/off white tunics to red/madder red and then back to white to highlight differences to the public.

As a Guard full member from 1984 -2003, most of that time spent as an Auxiliary with more than a passing interest in tunics etc... :wink: I suppose I am qualified to answer this one.

The Guard Auxilia started in blue tunics went to red in 1991-2 then into white around 2001 (red, white and blue, very patriotic!). The majority of the society members felt that the Auxiliaries in red tunics looked too much like the Legionaries and that confused the public. So a decision was made to change back to a separate colour for the Auxiliaries.

The historical evidence that the Auxilia should look different from Legionaries is discussed in Bishop and Coulston's 'Roman Military Equipment'. In some early tombstones if there is no inscription surviving and when the soldiers are shown without a spear or shield it is sometimes hard to tell the difference. In some cases the Auxilia will even look more elaborately dressed. However when equipped with spears and shields the Legionaries are always depicted with a curved shield either oval or rectangular and carry pila, while the Auxiliaries have flat shields either oval or rectangular and are equipped with standard spears. Furthermore Tacitus supports the idea that Legionaries and Auxiliaries had different equipment but he also says elsewhere that there was an official policy of Romanisation with the allied forces.

Quote:I have noticed, from the pics that I have seen, that their auxilia all seem to still wear hamata with out a doubler even though a doubler would be appropriate for first century auxilia.

As far as I know there is no pictorial evidence to support the notion that Auxilia in the first century wore mail with shoulder doubling. Although if there is then someone will no doubt correct me on that. However there seems to be no logical reason to me why they would not.

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.
Reply


Forum Jump: