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Late roman boots?
#1
Hello,

Seeing the statue so called "Colosso de Barletta", seems the emperor represented (Valentinian III?) wore a kind of high boots. It's clearly diferent than the usually depicted campagi.

Anybody have a more detailed picture? Opinions on the use of such kind of footwear at Vth century? Paralels?

[Image: 341_article_206_7.jpg]
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#2
There's a mosaic that was recently posted here, showing what looks to be an officer and a miles stood side by side.
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... 964#165964
You could say the officer wears high boots similar to those, but the strapping follows the more usual zig-zag pattern we see so often for leg bindings as seen on the other figure in the mosaic. Some of the photos posted in the recent leg bindings topic look just like those in your photo.
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=18322
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=6556

It would be great to see a closer photo of the statue you posted, as it may well put the whole damned argument to bed. :wink:
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#3
Legs and arms of that statue were substituted by the sculptor Fabio Alfano in XIV century... (DEMOUGEOT, Le colosse de Barletta, MEFRA, 94, 1982, 2, 951 978.) Smile

Valete,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini

... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...


Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
[Image: PRIMANI_ban2.gif]
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#4
Quote:Legs and arms of that statue were substituted by the sculptor Fabio Alfano in XIV century
So they are fake? Or did he have an original?
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#5
Oh.... *!£%! :twisted:
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#6
Yes, a fake.

It also results from XIII chronicles (Tommaso da Pavia tells that Federico II in 1231 ... :

Parlamentum iussit congregari Ravenne, ut de iuribus imperii multis temporibus occupatis exigeret rationem. Verum huius tempore parlamenti aliquid accidit, quod non exstimo omittendum. Nam ad hoc parlamentum cum principibus Alamanie miles quidam Ricardus nomine curialis advenit, qui temporibus Karoli Magni scutifer Oliverii Dacie ducis fuit, qui fuit unus de 12 palatinis et Rolandi socius specialis. Fridericus igitur imperator hunc militem coram principibus requisivit, si tempore aliquo Ravenne cum Karolo fuerat et si in ipsa posset aliqua secreta ostendere, per que verbis illius posset certa fides haberi. Tunc ille ait: Cum Karolo et Rolando et meo domino Oliverio fui in hac civitate et si mecum circa civitatem volueritis equitare, certa vobis ostendam inditia, per que me verum dicere cognoscetis. Equitavit igitur imperator ad quoddam monasterium prope urbem dixitque Ricardus ad eum: In hoc monasterio est quedam capella pulcerrima, quam hedificari fecit Galla Placidia, opere mosaico decorata, in qua de alabastro sunt tria sepulcra, in quorum uno imperatoris Theodosii corpus est positum, iuxta quem ensis eius cum vexillo tale preferente insigne est positus. In alio est corpus uxoris cum suarum duarum corporibus filiarum. Sed in tercio corpus est Helisei prophete de Costantinopoli cum aliis huc translatum. Itaque iuxta dicta Ricardi capellam imperator invenit, sed propter antiquitatem et excrescentias fluviorum sic terris opertam, ut introitus per ostium non pateret in eam. Terram igitur iussit effodi et usque ad pavimentum capelle optime excavari, quibus sic per omnia actis capellam intravit, ubi ut Ricardus dixerat tres archas invenit. Cumque archa Theodosii fuisset aperta, cum vexillo et spata inventum est corpus eius, et quia in archa una veritas erat inventa, noluit imperator archas alias aperiri... Iterum Ricardus ille iam dictus eius quod dicebat alium signum dedit. Dicebat enim, quod in Karoli comitato erat miles quidam discretionis sensu permodicus, sed stature longitudine eximius, ita quod vix inveniri posset aliquod vestimentum corpori suo aptum, capiti pileum, calcaria pedibus et manui cirotheca, nisi ad eius fierent de novo mensuram. Contigit autem semel, quod imperator Karolus subito de Ravenna discederet, ita quod multi recessum ex militibus nescientes eum non fuerint tunc secuti. Inter quos vir iste longissimus accipere pre festinantia sua calcaria est oblitus et ideo tarde Karolum est secutus. Et quia sine calcaribus equitabat, omnium derisui expositus erat, quia segui alios non valebat eo quod calcaria sua in quadam fenestra huius claustri reliquerat, que sic alta erat, quod nullus alius preter ipsum manum illuc mittere poterat. At illi, qui cum imperatore erant, investigantes ibi fenestras in eo latere quo dicebat, derelicta calcaria repererunt propter antiquitatem rubiginosa, quamvis fuerint deaurata, tanteque magnitudinis erant, ut admirationi fierent universis, tanquam quoddam novum et insolitum mirarentur. Itaque habemus in hiis fidem Theodosii quam sequamur, qui monasterium istud exstruxerat seque ibi sepeliri mandaverat, habemus et sanctitatem Helisei eximiam, quam affectibus veneremur, habemus longevitatem Ricardi cum longitudine corporis, quam miremur. Et in hiis omnibus divinam nobis est attendere maiestatem, quam in omnibus et ex omnibus collaudemus, que facit magna et inscrutabilia, quorum non est numerus (74). )

that the statue had before deteriorated boots, arms and pileus. So, they were substituted two centuries later. The fake boots have just a curious little resemblance with the leather 17in high boots (VI century) excavated at Antinopolis by Carl Schmidt in 1896. Moreover recent studies suggest the statue actually represents Honorius.

Vale,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini

... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...


Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
[Image: PRIMANI_ban2.gif]
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#7
the only english text I've found about it is a JSTOR first page:

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9114(192501%2F03 )29%3A1%3C20%3ATCOB%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Z

you have to copy and paste the whole address...

Valete,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini

... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...


Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
[Image: PRIMANI_ban2.gif]
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#8
If he's Honorius, remove the fake pieces and just do a collage from this dyptich: Big Grin

[Image: onorio1.jpg]

Valete,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini

... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...


Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
[Image: PRIMANI_ban2.gif]
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#9
Ave,

The Romans did have boots that high or even higher, at least in the 2nd century AD.

If you look at this photo you'll see Lucius Verus wearing mid-calf sized boots on the right and exteme right.

Quote:seems the emperor represented (Valentinian III?)

Hehe, in many books I've read every suggestion from Valentinian I to Anastasius which means no one has a clue and most likely never will, imo. :roll: :wink:

All anyone can say with certainty is that it is not Julian, the only bearded IV century Emperor after Constantine's reign (assuming the statue is even IV century).

~Theo
Jaime
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#10
Found this webpage that describes high boots as perones (sing. pero). Just thought I'd add that to the thread for info.
http://www.parsonsd.co.uk/roman_shoes.php

Juvenal liked them, Tertullian thought they were effeminate.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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