tunica pattern for eques

[Lucius Rabirius]

Hi,

im searching a pattern or a description for a tunica of an eques for the 1st century AD. The detail questions on this are:

- how long are the clavi and
- how long are the arms of the tunica.

If someone could help me, it would be very awesome. I already searched the forum but couldnt find something.

thanks in advance

[M. Demetrius]

The clavi would reach from hem to hem. Full length. I can't say for sure about the sleeves, but from pictorial evidence, it seems that many tunics didn't have them at all. Just two rectangles. Clavi were either woven in or sewn on afterwards, and for the lower classes, merely painted on (from what I've read).

For machine sewing (*note: this is an utterly unauthentic method in every way*), the easiest method I've found is to make the tunic without clavi, then cut it into three panels and insert the strips into the fabric, sewing them in one seam at a time. These clavi are the combined length of the tunic front + back.

For sewing on in a more authentic method (not like the ones on Rome HBO, where the seams of tunics are sewn with the raw edges out. (?) I'd suggest turning under the edge of the wool and topstitching them in place. Kind of tedious, but using this method means you don't have to go back to the weaver and start over. Using either of these, with a long strip that goes over the shoulders, you don't have to worry about getting them to match at the shoulder seam.

From what I can tell, clavi usually are placed at the edge of the neck hole, which should help to reinforce that section of the garment. It's easy for the sewn section there to tear if stress is applied to it. Hard to fix that damage, too. Hope that helps some.