Roman Metal Armour-Polished or Dull?

[M. Demetrius]

Q: Can a mule cross a bog?
A: Sure, if his name is Peat.

[Tarbicus]

You could just not use wagons, and load literally everything onto mules. No need for roads then.

In that case you either need to leave things behind, or need a few thousand exta mules ... and pack saddles, and skilled packers. And in the ancient world horses and mules weren't normally used for power on the farm, so rounding up many on short notice was rarely easy. Not to mention that mules may take up more space in your line of march than the carts did, and further slow you down. Bearers or pack animals have advantages over wagons for army transport, but both have their own problems.

But we have a 3rd-C reference to each soldier having a pack animal or horse, and each century also having a pack animal. Given that's the case the deed was already done, surely? It may seem unfeasible, but then a rich man could level an entire hill for his lake, and legions surround cities with walls and towers for months on end. With the Romans, where there was a will there was always a way.

[Sardaukar]

Well...my idea of late Republican legion on march is that each 8-man unit has a mule and each century has a wagon. Plus guys are themselved loaded with usual packs. That would seem to me as minimum baggage train (and does not include "siege engines" (ballistas, scorpions etc.).

To me it seems that when forced march was needed, legion would just leave wagons with guard element to catch up later and go with minimum supplies (probably 5 days or so) on mules and carried by the soldiers.

BTW, Tarbicus, nice to see another Liverpool supporter. 8)

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Well...my idea of late Republican legion on march is that each 8-man unit has a mule and each century has a wagon. Plus guys are themselved loaded with usual packs. That would seem to me as minimum baggage train (and does not include "siege engines" (ballistas, scorpions etc.).

To me it seems that when forced march was needed, legion would just leave wagons with guard element to catch up later and go with minimum supplies (probably 5 days or so) on mules and carried by the soldiers.

That is pretty well documented by Caesar, the champion of fast movement! :wink:

[Paullus Scipio]

That is pretty well documented by Caesar, the champion of fast movement!

...And for examples of just how quickly Caesar and his troops could move when unburdened by the baggage train, see the "Legionary feats of fitness" thread.... )

[Magnus]

Gentlemen, let's keep this on topic please!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Shiny silvered tinned segs......oh yeah baby!

[Sardaukar]

By the way...what would be the best way to protect one's armour from rust etc. in those times ?

Were they oiled for example ? (even though thought of legionary trying to put on slippery lorica hamata is somewhat amusing..). Could one use wax or something ?

Or did they have to just scrub and polish all the time ? 8)

[M. Demetrius]

Wouldn't beeswax work? rubbed on, gently melted, then buffed?

[Aurelianus]

Olive oil is great for iron. It is a good rust protection and leaves a nice satin finish. Unfortunately it is incapable for brass.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Olive oil is great for iron. It is a good rust protection and leaves a nice satin finish. Unfortunately it is incapable for brass.

What do you mean? why no brass?

[Paullus Scipio]

Living near the sea as I do, I fight a constant war against rust :evil: ...and have tried just about every preventative under the sun.....olive oil is O.K. But it ( and any other vegetable oils) tend to leave a 'build-up' coat.

I have found a substance that works perfectly, and it is one that the Romans would have been very familiar with......Lanolin! (from Sheeps wool.)
I use this in two forms...thick lanolin ( like vaseline) for storage, and on user days, I wipe this off and replace it with a fine coat of sprayed-on liquid lanolin - a wipe with a rag leaves a non-greasy sheen. A coat of thick Lanolin and back into storage.......problems with rust are a thing of the past !! D

[john m roberts]

Believe it or not, military officers and NCOs are not at all shy about making soldiers clean and polish their gear for hours or days on end. I suspect Roman officers had no more compunction about such things than their modern counterparts.

[Magnus]

Living near the sea as I do, I fight a constant war against rust :evil: ...and have tried just about every preventative under the sun.....olive oil is O.K. But it ( and any other vegetable oils) tend to leave a 'build-up' coat.

I have found a substance that works perfectly, and it is one that the Romans would have been very familiar with......Lanolin! (from Sheeps wool.)
I use this in two forms...thick lanolin ( like vaseline) for storage, and on user days, I wipe this off and replace it with a fine coat of sprayed-on liquid lanolin - a wipe with a rag leaves a non-greasy sheen. A coat of thick Lanolin and back into storage.......problems with rust are a thing of the past !! D

Hey Paul,

Do you know how they thin the lanolin by chance?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Probably with an alcohol/petroleum substance?
I find the neatsfoot oil I use on the leathers seems to help too.([size=75:2527xt31]MIND YOU, LIVING IN ABERDEEN SO NEAR THE NORTH SEA, i AM AFRAID i SUCCUMB TO THE EASY SUPPLY OF wd-40 AND SIMILAR MODERN PRODUCTS[/size]

I wipe mine down every time I return from offshore.