Tents, to be linen or not to be linen.

[M. Demetrius]

Well, one thing is sure in warm climates about animal hides: ticks and other insects like them fairly well. Plenty of neighbors in the tent.

[Caballo]

Saw this

The caption is Fig. 1. - 1. Roman Tabernaculum, from column of Trajan. 2. Tentorium, from column of Antonine.
The commentary also says "The Roman tabernaculum resembled the house tent, and the tentorium the wedge tent of the present day." (From "The American Cyclopaedia", by George Ripley And Charles A. Dana.)

I think its referring to the Column of Marcus Aurelius? But this is a completely new image of a Roman tent for me- can anyone help?

I think the source may be from this engraving done by Bartoli, Pietro Santi, 1635-1700. Perhaps someone can help post the image?

http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigit...&pos=2&e=w


This is the only picture of a tent from this column that I have (really poor quality- sorry) - from The Column of Marcus Aurelius by Ian Ferris



Does anyone have a better picture from the column itself?



The distinction between a hut/ house shape tabernaculum and a stretched tentoria makes etymological sense. Perhaps this is what the two words meant- tabernaculum the classic early Roman shape also shown in Later times, with tentoria being the stretched wedge or ridge tents as shown in later Roman and Saxon illustrations?