Late Republican Calligae

[Andy]

For sometime I have been trying to find information on the calligae worn by basic soldiers of the Roman Army circa Gallic War period.
With ornate boots depicted on sculpture of Caesar, to bare feet representations on sculpture I have to wonder what did the average soldier ware? Were they something like the Mianz calligae, were they more like a carbatina, or were they more Celtic in style?
Some books that I have shed no light on the subject, and while I am aware of Stepping Through Time, I am unable to purchase this. If people have some ideas/theories/images I would be greatly appreciative.

[Tarbicus]

I only have a theory concerning the time of the Punic Wars, and that is the Celtic boot is allowable. I found an image from pre-Punic War showing a Roman wearing such a boot, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was a precursor to calceii. However, I'd say caligae were an identifier of military service by the Gallic Wars. That said :roll: I have a pair of hobnailed carbatinae which I would have no problem using for Augustan in the Rhineland, or Gallic Wars. Graham Sumner's illustration of a 9AD legionary shows him wearing carbatinae IIRC.

For earlier Roman, I'm not sure about iron hobnails. A much later shoe sole has a novel method of traction - rawhide strip that follows the outline of the sole with more inside the outline forming a cross. The strips are threaded through slits in the sole.

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?p=181185

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=18390

[Andy]

Which calligae pattern would you recomend as suitable for Gallic War period?

[Tarbicus]

No idea. What's the earliest pattern found?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Were there any finds at Alesia? I suppose in the days of Napoleon's digs, they would not have preserved any if they did find something.

Are there plans for more digs there, as a find there would certainly help to pinpoint things....but pie in the sky really! :?

[Martin Moser]

Which calligae pattern would you recomend as suitable for Gallic War period?

If you want to go with an actual find, the oldest I am aware of are the finds from the Comacchio shipwreck, which is Augustean, published in F.Berti, Fortuna Maris. La Nave Romana di Comachio. (1990)
They are pretty similar to the Mainz caligae finds and I wouldn't be surprised if the ones used under Caesar turned out to look verey similar to those.

[Andy]

Thanks Martin,

Found the link to the sandals http://www2.rgzm.de/scripts/dbWeb/dbweb ... R/dat/2753

[le Cavalier Invisible]

Edited: now it works fine! Laudes! 8)

Greetz,

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Excellent link Andy! 8) Laudes!

[Andy]

Now....for a reproduction! Laudes to Martin

[Neuraleanus]

Now....for a reproduction! Laudes to Martin

Here is a page describing how I made mine:
[url:3c254qq0]http://www.geocities.com/legio_tricesima_cohors_tres/campusMartis/MakingCaligae/MakingAuthenticCaligae.html[/url]
Scroll to about the middle of the page for the Mainz Caligae.

[Iagoba]

Quite impressive photos! hock:

Seems that you can use they now, thety are almost intact!

Laudes! :wink:

[Martin Moser]

Andy,

just remembered: here's another thread about the Comacchio find: http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=11635

and, from that thread, this intersting link with better pics of the shoes (among other interesting things: http://www.romanhideout.com/places/comacchio.asp

[Andy]

How similar/different are these Comacchio calligae to the Mainz?