Bracae Sumner Book

[Doc]

Mr. Sumner mentions in his book that the bracae according to one ancient source (I do not have it handy at the moment) were made of either leather (especially cavalry) and linen.

However, no mention was ever made of wool though would it not be possible in northern European countries?

Also, how about the color, I read something like brown? Is this the same sort of color that usually is seen with the paenula cloak?

I think bracae of other colors are also possible, no? Say like deep blue or red?

[Graham Sumner]

Hi Paolo

I presume you mean the book 'Roman Military Dress'.

The quote is from Agathias (Hist. ii.5)

Although Agathias does not mention wool, I do myself a few lines above this quote while colour is mentioned a few paragraphs below.

I have tried to present the evidence available rather than speculate. I do not know of any certain first century AD examples of brightly coloured bracae but you certainly get coloured trousers in later times as mentioned in the book.

The brown you normally see for coloured bracae is a red brown which could be a natural wool colour. Yellow brown which is a popular colour for both the sagum and paenula might also have been used for bracae for the same reason, which is that the un-dyed wool probably retained its natural lanolins and helped to make the garment more water resistant. However if it was there appears to be no strong evidence for it as yet.

Graham.

[Doc]

Mr. Sumner,

Yes your new book, which, I must say is most excellent. I enjoyed reading it. However, being that I am not at home and the thought poped into my head, I wrote the post with the idea in mind.

What do you really think of wool being used for a reconstruction? Does it make sense that soldiers in northern climates might have used this instead of linen.

I remember in your book that you also mentioned, based on pictoral and written evidence, the saga were also red, or blue as well as natural colors like the paenula. I do not think that the saga was exclusively the natural wool color.

[Graham Sumner]

Hi Paolo

Given that even in Egypt military tunics were in wool, it does make more sense that in the North bracae would be in wool rather than linen. As linen was generally left in its natural colour the bracae that Agathius mentions would almost certainly be in an off white colour.

The Egyptian funeral portraits show very bright blue and red cloaks which I think would have been dyed.

Graham.

[Doc]

Mr. Sumner,

Thanks for the input. I was planning on making bracae out of wool and linen. I think that if I can find the redish brown color I will make the wool ones this way. The linen ones I will go for natural linen color.

[M. Demetrius]

portraits show very bright blue and red cloaks which I think would have been dyed

Unless they had bright blue and red sheep in that area, heh, I'd vote with their being dyed. :lol: My wife adds that it would be hard to tell if the sheep were bright, however, since no one today speaks the Ancient Sheep dialect.

[Graham Sumner]

Unless they had bright blue and red sheep in that area

D