Roman Metal Armour-Polished or Dull?

[Hugh Fuller]

When most of your enemies were without armor, it would seem to me that polishing your armor to glisten would give you a psychological advantage over them. And please don't try to tell me that the Romans weren't interested in gaining psychological advantages when available. They certainly did so when donning helmet crests and other such decorations before going into combat. It only seems reasonable to emphasize the advantages that you have over your opponents.

[john m roberts]

In 15th cent. paintings, plate armor is often shown with a mirror polish, clearly reflecting other objects. This might be a display of painterly virtuosity, but the artists clearly knew what reflections looked like in curved, polished steel surfaces. I believe the burnisher (a curved rod of smooth, hard steel) was known to the ancients. I've put a deep mirror polish on steel with one, but it's an extremely slow and tedious process.

[Tarbicus]

In 15th cent. paintings, plate armor is often shown with a mirror polish, clearly reflecting other objects.

John, can you post a painted example of this armour? I've seen references to this stuff before that indicates the armour in the painting may have been itself painted, gilded, or blackened, and what you see is not the raw metal. The common interpretation was that it was the actual steel which led to the Victorian curators scrubbing the top surface paint from exhibits. The Pre-Raphaelites didn't help, either. Here are some paintings by the likes of Tintoretto, van Dyck, Titian, etc.

http://www.tamsquare.net/pictures/V/Die ... seback.jpg
http://www.tamsquare.net/pictures/V/Die ... rmour-.jpg
http://www.tamsquare.net/pictures/V/Sir ... Racius.jpg
http://www.tamsquare.net/pictures/V/Sir ... Family.jpg
http://www.tamsquare.net/pictures/V/Sir ... -Armor.jpg
http://www.tamsquare.net/pictures/V/Sir ... ngland.jpg
http://www.tamsquare.net/pictures/V/Sir ... ngland.jpg
http://www.tamsquare.net/pictures/V/Sir ... -Armor.jpg
http://images.nortonsimon.org/erez4/cac ... f21948.jpg
http://italophiles.com/images/tin_manarmor.jpg
http://moderato.files.wordpress.com/200 ... =370&h=544

Also, given the status of the individuals involved, do we accept the armour as 'as used in battle', or could it have been commissioned especially for the painting?

Royal Armouries has something to say on the subject:
http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/showExhib ... slideid=19

More here, stating the paint would be oil-based shellac, and that most armour would be painted.
http://www.livesteelarmor.com/hm/hf.html

[Marcus Caecilius Avitus]

Jim makes a good point.

Although a mirror finish could be acheived this would take a lot of time and effort. Is such a finish realistc for the rank and file legionary? IMHO I think the satin finish wold be the accepted standard.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

In 15th cent. paintings, plate armor is often shown with a mirror polish, clearly reflecting other objects. This might be a display of painterly virtuosity, but the artists clearly knew what reflections looked like in curved, polished steel surfaces. I believe the burnisher (a curved rod of smooth, hard steel) was known to the ancients. I've put a deep mirror polish on steel with one, but it's an extremely slow and tedious process.

I'm sure I saw a picture from oldie days showing a burnishing rod being used...I didn't know what I was looking at until you described it here!!

[Urselius]

Historiae Romanae, Cassius Dio:

"After this event Nero took him up to Rome and set the diadem upon his head....The centre was occupied by the civilians, arranged according to rank, clad in white and carrying laurel branches; everywhere else were the soldiers, arrayed in shining armour, their weapons and standards flashing like the lightning."

I think the level of spit and polish would have varied greatly due to circumstances. The armour of legionary after two weeks marching in German bogs and forests would not have been very shiny at all. The same soldier reviewed by a dignitary might have managed to bring his armour to a high degree of polish. In addition to laquer and paint a thin application of olive oil would preserve the shine on metal for some time.

[Tarbicus]

"..Their arms shall be kept burnished, their implements bright, and their boots stout..."
Historia Augusta, The Life of Aurelian; Part 1, p207
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/R ... an/1*.html

I'd like to see the original latin to check on 'burnished'.

[Matthew Amt]

The armour of legionary after two weeks marching in German bogs and forests would not have been very shiny at all.

You know, I keep hearing this theory, and I still don't buy it completely. For one thing, they didn't march through bogs, they marched on roads and camped in open areas. Sure, there can be rain and mud, but that would have more of an effect on the clothing than the armor. Two weeks is plenty of time to learn the secrets of keeping the armor looking good no matter what the conditions. You might not worry as much about keeping the brasswork bright, but I'll bet they attacked the rust!

I do agree that everything would be much cleaner and shinier for formal occasions!

Valete,

Matthew

[Dan Diffendale]

"..Their arms shall be kept burnished, their implements bright, and their boots stout..."
Historia Augusta, The Life of Aurelian; Part 1, p207
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/R ... an/1*.html

I'd like to see the original latin to check on 'burnished'.

arma tersa sint, ferramenta samiata, calciamenta fortia
from tergere, to rub off, wipe off, wipe dry, wipe clean, cleanse

It applies to arms also at Livy 26, 51, 4, secundo die arma curare et tergere ante tentoria iussi, while Scipio is besieging Carthage, "he ordered them to review and scour their arms before their respective tents" in the Baker's 1823 translation.

[Tarbicus]

Thanks Danno. My copy of Lewis says pretty much the same. What's interesting is there is no mention of 'burnish'.

[Urselius]

The armour of legionary after two weeks marching in German bogs and forests would not have been very shiny at all.

You know, I keep hearing this theory, and I still don't buy it completely. For one thing, they didn't march through bogs, they marched on roads and camped in open areas. Sure, there can be rain and mud, but that would have more of an effect on the clothing than the armor. Two weeks is plenty of time to learn the secrets of keeping the armor looking good no matter what the conditions. You might not worry as much about keeping the brasswork bright, but I'll bet they attacked the rust!

I do agree that everything would be much cleaner and shinier for formal occasions!

Valete,

Matthew

In the absence of roads they would have to march through whatever terrain was between them and their destination. Of course they could have had a "Dalek and stairs" problem off road. :wink:

Come to think of it they never attempted Ireland....

[Magnus]

In the absence of roads they would have to march through whatever terrain was between them and their destination. Of course they could have had a "Dalek and stairs" problem off road. :wink:

Come to think of it they never attempted Ireland....

True, but any animal is going to take the easier road. Show me anyone that is going to purposely march through a bog... 8) And even then, there are always paths and bits of high ground to move through. That's where the scouts come in...keep in mind they have baggage trains and pack animals to also transport, so moving through swampy muddy terrain is not going to be feasible.

Point being that while I'm sure it wasn't the best of terrain to move across, it wouldn't have been to the point where they were all covered in goo. Thus keeping the armour clean would have been more of a challenge because of some mud spatter, but not difficult.

[Matthew Amt]

In the absence of roads they would have to march through whatever terrain was between them and their destination.

No, you can't move an army like that overland. There has to be a road of some sort for the wagons and carts at least. Any inhabited area already had at least rudimentary roads already, and the Romans regularly improved the roadways as they went--that's why the men all carried tools. If there really weren't any usable roads, they'd build them as they went--I think Paulinus did this in Wales before Boudica's revolt.

Vale,

Matthew

[Dan Diffendale]

What's interesting is there is no mention of 'burnish'.

Sorry, it's in there...
Primary: to rub off, wipe off, wipe dry, wipe clean, cleanse
Also: dry, rub off, polish, burnish
Poetically, to grate upon, scatter, tickle the palate

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks Danno. My copy of Lewis says pretty much the same. What's interesting is there is no mention of 'burnish'.

perhaps burnish is confused with bringing out a shine.....is vinegar not good for shining brasswork? I recall we used ketchup to shine the ships bell years ago, due to its acidic content..?