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I keep seeing illustrations of Republican legionaries, and they don't wear caligae but a closed boot that goes above the ankle.
Anyone have any info or thoughts on these? It seems to be a loose interpretation of sculpture, and because there seems to be no evidence for caligae then (it's not known when they first came into use). Imagine calcei, but without laces and completely closed by a strip of leather running from the toe to the top of the boot.
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I know what you mean! Like the depiction of Pullo and Vorenus in the last edition of Ancient warrior? I wouldn't mind a pair like that too!! 8)
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Hi Jim,
Quote:I keep seeing illustrations of Republican legionaries, and they don't wear caligae but a closed boot that goes above the ankle.
Do you have any pics/links of those, perhaps?
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Quote:Hi Jim,
Tarbicus:2z6w6xrz Wrote:I keep seeing illustrations of Republican legionaries, and they don't wear caligae but a closed boot that goes above the ankle.
Do you have any pics/links of those, perhaps? Osprey's Roman Republican Legionary, Ancient Warfare (as Byron pointed out). There are others IIRC but can't remember the details of where. That said, Connolly shows crouching triarii in caligae in G&R@W.
I just thought it might make an interesting change for my 2nd Punic War impression, but am concerned about how appropriate they would be. Perhaps they're of some kind of Gallic/Celt influence?
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Quote:... Ancient Warfare (as Byron pointed out)....
That's a shoe based on the find from Qasr Ibrim according to the picture description. The Qasr Ibrim shoe seems practically the same as the Mainz calcei (1st cent AD). For the Qasr Ibrim shoe there is no dating I am aware of.
The oldest actual finds of caligae I know of, btw, are from the Commachio wreck, which is Augustean. It seems that the Mainz style calcei and caligae were around together for at least a century, possibly even longer (meaning since well back into the first cent. BC.
The crux with all this is, however, that there are no finds of shoes dated to Caesar's time or even before that in the 1st century BC that I am aware of at the moment. Maybe somebody else knows something?
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I just went back to Graham's Ancient Warfare article, and they're actually not the same as the McBride versions in the Osprey book on the Republican Legionary. I'm kind of convinced Angus McBride might have based his on a Gallic type of boot, or even Celt-Iberian. Or some such.
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In fact, a similar boot is in Connoly, G&R@W, page 151, worn by the Spanish infantryman.
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Tarbicus wrote: Quote:I just went back to Graham's Ancient Warfare article, and they're actually not the same as the McBride versions in the Osprey book on the Republican Legionary. I'm kind of convinced Angus McBride might have based his on a Gallic type of boot, or even Celt-Iberian. Or some such.
Well finally a comment about the Pullo and Vorenus illustration and its about their.........boots!!!
Yes, the boots are based on those from Qasr Ibrim in southern Egypt and as Martin says's they are similar to the Mainz type too. Pullo's boots were also based on the republican tombstone of centurio Lorarius illustrated in the same article and it is generally assumed that officers wore them rather than legionaries.
If there are illustrations of legionaries wearing them it could be a case of the usual problem which we so often forget. That there simply is no evidence available but the reconstruction scenario demands that the blanks are filled.
Graham.
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Thanks Graham, and of course I fully understand Pullo and Vorenus couldn't go barefoot :wink: The impression the boots apply to is 2nd Punic War, so I guess I need to try and find a pic of a contemporary soldier, either painted or a sculpture. I'm tempted to go with how Connolly portrays his Spanish infantryman's boots, even if only for the sake of doing something a bit different.
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Hi Jim
Well if you can wait a bit you might see something you like in 'Arms and Armour of the Roman Soldier', next year!
In the example of Pullo and Vorenus the evidence for their boots was available but that is not always the case when you come to do reconstructions.
Graham.
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Quote:Hi Jim
Well if you can wait a bit you might see something you like in 'Arms and Armour of the Roman Soldier', next year!
Doh! Graham, don't do that! :twisted: You could at least pull forward publication.....
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Hi Jim
Sorry, not up to me. As I do not see any money for over a years work until they start to sell I am as eager as you to see it published. Also as I get paid by royalties I will not be giving too many away either!
Graham.
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Who's publishing it Graham? I will have to wait in line on the first release date! 8)
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Quote:Who's publishing it Graham? I will have to wait in line on the first release date!
There are further details in the References and Review section under 'Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier'.
Graham.
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Here we go. The boots I'm talking about are something like these Turkoman boots, but without the fur and a reinforcing strip from above the toes to the top of the boot. Perhaps add a sole to them as well. A very simple construction.
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