Focale

[Doc]

How large a piece of material does a focale have to be.

Thanks

[Tarbicus]

How large a piece of material does a focale have to be.

Thanks

There are a few different camps when it comes to the form of the focale: the neckchief similar to "cowboy style", square and folded diagonally; the same but folded in half; a simple long scarf like we have today, which Graham Sumner has mentioned a number of times in discussion. I personally go for the long scarf type.

I don't think anyone can say what size they should be.

[Q. Vipsanivs Praetextatvs]

I don't think anyone can say what size they should be.

I think the same. In these details we can't say anything, it depends of the legionary and his neck too.

There is some source?

Thank's

Valete bene.

[Tarbicus]

One of the Pompeii frescoes shows a (possible) soldier wearing a grey-green scarf IIRC. The tavern fresco?

[M. Demetrius]

Here's a question. I've seen two sorts of front closures: one is from a long scarf, folded in the middle, and the free ends slid through that bight. The other is a simple overhand knot.

But from the appearance on some of the stele, it looks like it could be closed much like a Boy Scout neckerchief, that is with a ring something like a napkin ring in an upscale restaurant.

Any opinions there?

BTW, I sort of favor the squarish folded rectangle, since that could be made from just about any kind of scrap tunic panel, or whatever. The long scarf would be more trouble to weave than the square. Chances are, either would work just fine. I won't argue either position. A rag scrap could be torn long, or square. A square of cloth can make a headcover, too, just like a long scarf. The only difference is how it's fastened.

[Tarbicus]

I don't see a reason why a focale would be any worse than any other item of clothing. Would you wear a rag around your neck and have less chance with the ladies?

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

The length of the focale can be approximated from the images on the Trajan's Column - the auxiliary soldiers depicted there wear their scarfs on the top of their armor.

[M. Demetrius]

Hey, Tarbicus,
Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying the focala must be ugly, stained (though that would happen in normal use, odds are) or ragged.

Picture a tunica. One way or another, it gets torn, so that it can't be patched attractively. There's still a lot of good cloth in that...like 4 yds or thereabouts, right? So a soldier in the field might just cut it into useful pieces, for all sorts of things, like sacks, focalae, pads, sword polishing cloths, etc. And of course, it could be something really flashy, plaid, striped, whatever suited the wearer, couldn't it?

What of that? A plaid focala? How much ire would that awake at an event?

[Q. Vipsanivs Praetextatvs]

One of the Pompeii frescoes shows a (possible) soldier wearing a grey-green scarf IIRC. The tavern fresco?

Thank's :wink:

[Tarbicus]

Hey, Tarbicus,
Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying the focala must be ugly, stained (though that would happen in normal use, odds are) or ragged.

Maybe I'm thinking more of a non-armoured situation.

What of that? A plaid focala? How much ire would that awake at an event?

Nothing wrong with that. :wink: Come to think of it, maybe they were the wearer's favourite chariot team colours?

[Crispvs]

"But from the appearance on some of the stele, it looks like it could be closed much like a Boy Scout neckerchief, that is with a ring something like a napkin ring in an upscale restaurant."

I think you may be looking at the front edges of the hoods of paenulae. I don't recall ever having seen anything which resembled a Scout scarf. Can you post a picture?

Crispvs

[M. Demetrius]

It is mostly a comparison of the representation of the knot, and, say, a slice of cow femur. Naturally, the colors in the sculptures are no help today. Just a thought, not even quite a hypothesis. I'll see if I can find a picture that illustrates what I mean.

I'll get back with more details soon as. :?