Caligae

[Martin Moser]

Hi Robert,

I have a question about a remark I think you once made in a thread about the caligae being "out of fashion" halfway 1 st century, being replaced by a more closed boot.

You somewhat mis-remember I'm afraid. General opinion now seems to be that caligae (or what we are used to think of when wwe say caligae, the term stays around much longer for military shoes) were phasing out towards the end of the 1st century. The last securely dated finds are from around 80-90 AD. They are missing at Vindolanda, the oldest dated shoes from which are 80-90 AD onwards (fishnet upper shoes are one of those).

Is there a kind of "footwear timeline" somewere or could we put that on RAT?

There is something the like which Carol van Driel-Murray did. It's published in more than one of her articles, originally in Vindolanda and the Dating of Roman Footwear, then again in Stepping through Time and in the catalog Die Römer zwischen Alpen und Nordmeer.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Gaius,

Be nice! I can't help it if I have champagne tastes on a light beer budget. I just like the best and settle for no less....its the perfectionist in me!

:lol: :lol: Yeah, me too, just means I have to wait three years for a sword....but i will survive 8) can make do with a mainz till then!

[Martin Moser]

Hi Paolo,

How can I contact Martin.

Easy, send me a PM, e.g. ;-) )

If someone does not mind telling me, what is the cost of a caligae from Martin (ballpark)

It depends on the details, but you would have to invest from 300.- USD (at the current, unfavourable-for-you rate of the euro) upwards, depending on details etc. I can of course understand if you don't want to invest that much money. Should you rather want to give it a try your own, feel free to contact me about advice etc., I'll be glad to help where I can.

Martin can you suggest anyone.

Not at the moment I'm afraid - surprisingly all the reproduced caligae (exception: Neuraleanus, you can find a pic of his somewhere in this thread) I have seen so far are quite different from the patterns of the actual finds I'm aware of.

[Robert]

Hi Martin,

Many thanks! It does seem I was a bit hazy on the exact timeframe. :oops: So, the end of the first would seem to be the demise of the caligae. In any late first century or early second century impressions, it would be safe to go for the enclosed low boot. Reason I was asking this, is that I am involved in this themepark and we are shifting the timeframe to accomodate for having a different location under review and wanting to portray a story in most aspects correct or at least believable. Moving the castellum off the Limes line would imply this. Also, I am worried about issues on OSHAS laws for personel, and a boot could be better adapted to modern standards of comfort (insoles and all). We may even have to resort to adapting the hamata of the auxilary forces (infantry and cavalry) we have manning the castellum to make it less heavy :? (shudder!)

[Tarbicus]

Caligae and open toed boots clearly seen on the Adamklissi metopes:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
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9

If it were just TC I'd buy the idea they were not in use by this time, but because they're on the Adamklissi metopes I'm convinced they were still in use. There are more boots that are either worn down, or possibly calceii, which would make the caligae even more credible IMHO.
Gallery

[Cassius Tullius]

http://www.iotcusa.com/cgi/dir/query.pl ... &pagenum=2

India Overseas Trading; their prices are amazing, especialy when you buy something by the case! Their selection is worth a look.

[Martin Moser]

If it were just TC I'd buy the idea they were not in use by this time, but because they're on the Adamklissi metopes I'm convinced they were still in use.

Certainly a good point. 1st cent style caligae might have lasted into the 2nd century, I guess we can't tell for sure, for the time being at least. (I was only relaying the opinion of persons like van Driel and Volken) It might also be, however, that what we are seeing here are boots with lots of open-work and very reminiscent of the caliga (but quite different in manufacture), like those found in Vindolanda and Xanten (I think it was).

There are more boots that are either worn down, or possibly calceii, which would make the caligae even more credible IMHO.

Not quite sure what you mean here, Jim, could you explain, please?

[Martin Moser]

Hi Robert

In any late first century or early second century impressions, it would be safe to go for the enclosed low boot.

If you go strictly by what dated finds there are, yes. If you take depictions etc. into account the whole thing becomes debatable, see Jim's post above. The only thing I am personally convinced of is that caligae weren't there one year and gone the next, and that the latest finds we have very, very probably were not among the last dozen pairs being made ;-) ) . Phasing out the caliga everywhere would have taken a decade or two at least, I imagine ...

[Tarbicus]

There are more boots that are either worn down, or possibly calceii, which would make the caligae even more credible IMHO.

Not quite sure what you mean here, Jim, could you explain, please?

Sorry Martin, I meant if you look at other metopes in the photo gallery I posted there seem to be some boots worn by Romans that are either calceii, or the stone has been worn down and weathered or damaged, smoothing out the feet. It's difficult to tell in many cases.

Given how helmets, gladii, etc, seem to have continued in use for decades even though newer equipment had been introduced, I agree caligae wouldn't have been dropped overnight. But, I'd suggest the crossover could have been even half a century when looking at other equipment. The Adamklissi metopes are provincial and very (IMO) untainted by mainstream artistic conventions, so I can't help but feel their extended use is reflected in the monument, otherwise we would see mostly definite calceii and far less caligae.

The caligae in the metopes also seem to follow the forms and patterns seen on many grave stelae.

[Maxentius]

I know this is slightly off-topic, but how practical do Re-Enactors find hobnail caligae to be in use?

I only ask this because I watched a group of legionaries march on a dry cobbled road once and they resembled ice skaters. How did they cope with the large, smooth stones of roman pavements?

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

No. The most of the roman roads were paved with very little stones and gravel mixed with a poor quantity of lime ciment. There are callled glarea strata.

The large, smooth stones paving, are used very ocasionally.

[Maxentius]

Ahh. Thanks for clearing that up. Always wondered. :lol:

[Tarbicus]

Bear in mind the vast majority of battles would have been on earth, not roads or pavement. The large hobnails would have given excellent traction, just like on modern football and rugby boots which essentially serve the same purpose. There are source texts telling us how the citizens of Rome would find the sight of legionaries turning corners on pavement very funny, and in the Temple area of Jerusalem Josephus tells us of one legionary who slipped and went flying on the marble flooring, which led to his demise.

It wouldn't surprise me, either, if the hobnails saw use in battle stamping on the feet of an opponent, given the accounts of civilians being left with facial caligae patterns after altercations with soldiers.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I was under the impression that the major routes away from Rome were paved with large flagstones of a volcanic variety, whhich were fairly porus? I could imagine the sharp hobnails would have good purchase on a substance like that.?

Marble, like the centurion slipped on in Jeruselem, that Jim mentioned, is another story altogether :lol:

I wonder if the preatorians and other bodyguard type troops wore leather soled foot wear when in Rome, as I'm sure they would not have been much use in the palace in hobnails? It just makes me wonder.

I can see the Germanic guards rushing about trying to find whoever killed Caligula, only to go skating past the curtains Claudius was hiding behind when they spotted his toes sticking out from under them......probably adding to the old mans terror!! :lol: :roll:

[Maxentius]

Fascinating. It's great when an observation like this is mirrored in the ancient sources. Of course, battles on/near paved surfaces must have been almost non-existent, but my ignorance of roman road construction led me to think of all road marching being on surfaces like the Via Appia, but porous stone would solve that problem. Also I don't suppose there is any reason why they couldn't have two pairs of footwear.

The hobnails must have been terrifying to be on the wrong side of, but similarly how much protection do caligae offer the wearer? They don't strike me as obvious combat footwear or does the Scutum prevent stamped/trodden toes?