Ancient Warfare Special: Core of the Legions!

[HughF]

Jasper, what is the status of this special? May one still order it? If so, what would be the US dollar price?

Thanks, Hugh

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi Hugh
Certainly you can order it. Just head over to ancient-warfare.com. USD price is roughly $20, I think. It's like an Osprey, just more awesome.

[D B Campbell]

Jasper's new avatar! Doubly disappointing: it seems that you are not a Simpsons character, after all; and you don't wear a Roman helmet all the time. For shame! :wink:

[Caratacus]

Gaius Iulius Caesar wrote:
I would like to draw attention to the article by Michael Thomas, where he describes the subarmalis as a leather under garment......

Yep - that's me! Guilty as charged. Definitely a subject for debate (further debate).

Please keep in mind that there are editorial limits on the permissible length of an article. Jasper asked me to write a description of the body armour worn by the Roman soldier over a 200-year period (1st & 2nd CAD), in (roughly) 4,500 words. Surprisingly, perhaps, that doesn't give you an awful lot of room for discussion (not a criticism, just a fact of life). There were a couple of things that I would have liked to expand on (e.g. the length of time that mail armour was used before the 1st CAD) - but something had to go to get everything else in that I felt had to be said. I could easily have doubled the length of that article - but I doubt that Jasper would have been very happy with that!

So - subarmilis of leather? Well, I did say that there seemed to be good evidence for this. The Adamklisi metopes quite clearly show what can surely only be a leather garment being worn beneath the mail/scale armour suit. In several cases, it is also clear that there is a second garment beneath this leather one. It is this second garment that would be the linen one, of course. Perhaps we are talking at cross purposes here? I was not suggesting that leather replaced the textile garment, but that it was in addition to this:

The only practicable solution would have been a leather jacket, worn over the tunic but under the armour. (p.74, 2nd para)

The linen would, as you suggest, soak up perspiration, where the leather would not. On the other hand, leather would resist the wearing and fraying that the metal armour would produce far better than the linen would.

There is one other factor to consider. The Roman soldier was a professional, whose life depended on his equipment. What a Roman 'squaddie' would do in practice might be somewhat different from what a re-enactor would do. We can obviously learn a great deal from what people such as yourself do with reproduction Roman equipment but there may well be other factors such as this coming into play. I dare say that a linen subarmilis would be more comfortable - but would that be of any great worth or consideration to an actual Roman soldier?

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)

[Ron Andrea]

Excellent, well-rounded issue. I refer to it constantly.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Sorry if I missed this before, thanks for the reply, and you make your self clear. The wording was rather matter of fact, and it appeared a final statement.
But I would argue that a practical soldier would not sap his strength by wearing a garment that prevents his body breathing and cooling itself properly.
While I know I am not a Roman soldier, I do know the effects of not wearing gear tha tbreaths adequately, or keeps the elements out adequately.
I have worked offshore in all weather since I was in my late teens, and have worn some very inadequate gear in the early years especially.
It effects everything, from your stamina and endurance to your attitude.
My linen subarmalis, which I have toyed with the idea of adding re-inforcing leather in places such as you describe to prevent wear, has been very hard wearing,
without this added protection. I wouldn't imagine a garment that was wholly leather would be useful or practical in combat, but certainly there could have been reinforcement in critical areas to minimise wear. Not wanting to sound overly critical or up my own......., but it doesn't gel for various reasons.