Mail vs. arrows - later example

[D B Campbell]

what do these translate as?

Sorry, Byron -- should've added a translation. :oops:

My stab in the dark:
"Almost all soldiers, either from thick mattresses, or from patchwork blankets/quilts, or from leather tunics, made armoured coverings."

That's pretty much it, Tarb.
"Almost all the soldiers made tunics or coverings either out of mattresses, or quilting, or leather."

And, a little later, still at Dyrrachium, we find Pompey's men making coverings (tegimenta again) out of wicker (ex viminibus) for their helmets (BCiv 3.62)!

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

(And thanks for that useful link -- I haven't come across that one before.)

[Tarbicus]

(And thanks for that useful link -- I haven't come across that one before.)

Me neither - it was a Google happy accident. All of the other links I went to didn't have a clue about half of the words.

Weren't he Pompeiian helmet coverings to do with camouflage, or at least just trying to hide the glare from the helmets? It was discussed a while back:
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=16739
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=4330