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I'm not new to Roman re-enactment, but I am to the 1st Century. Is anyone able to give me guidance on auxiliary belts for the 1st century? I seem to remember the Trajan's Column auxiliaries having no waist belt (just a sword baldric), and several reconstruction paintings I've seen mirror this (including one of Connolly's in Greece & Rome at War).
I've seen the Annaius Daverzus carving from the mid/late? 1st C with crossed belts (I thought that was Augustan); and then I've seen re-enactors with legionary-style belts with plates, plus dagger, plus sword on a baldric...
Is the consensus that auxiliaries did have the same belt arrangements as legionaries? Just with poorer quality equipment?
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Hi Paul
You need a copy of Mike Bishop and Jon Coulston second edition 'Roman Military Equipment', Mike Bishops own article on the Military Apron in Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies JRMES and finally Pre Flavian Military Belt Plates from Britain by S. Greep. The first book will give you the exact references to the next two and other sources as well. There is also a discussion on what was Legionary and Auxiliary equipment.
Graham.
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Ah yes, I have Bishop & Coulston's book. Belt details are there but not the specifics of auxiliary v legionary wear. I will look up the other references, thank you.
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Auxiliaries, at least on the Rhineland tombstones, many of which date to the first century AD, have very elaborate belts and aprons compared to legionary tombstones of similar period.
Quinton Johansen
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Hi Paul
Quote:Belt details are there but not the specifics of auxiliary v legionary wear.
I thought this issue was covered in pages 254-9.
See also the current post on Auxiliary gear over on the Roman Military History and Archaeology thread.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
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Now read B&C in more detail, I see the belt issue isn't an issue, the belt system has to be the same, and several grave stelae are illustrated. Pugios and gladii require the belt and baldric system. Its strange that there are so many reconstructions (typically paintings) that feature auxiliaries without any belt at all (just a baldric), I guess they're based on the auxiliaries depicted on Trajan's Column.
Auxiliary thread looks very promising, BTW.
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Quote:Its strange that there are so many reconstructions (typically paintings) that feature auxiliaries without any belt at all (just a baldric), I guess they're based on the auxiliaries depicted on Trajan's Column.
Indeed they are Paul. The column also shows a different type of tunic to the Rhineland stele and the use of bracae. It would be nice to have more tombstone evidence of the quality of the early stuff from Germany to compare the column too, in particular from Britain.
Graham.
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Quote: and finally Pre Flavian Military Belt Plates from Britain by S. Greep
Almost. It's
Grew, F. and Griffiths, N. 1991: 'The pre-Flavian military belt: the evidence from Britain', Archaeologia 109, 47-84
Mike Bishop
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Quote:Graham Sumner wrote:
and finally Pre Flavian Military Belt Plates from Britain by S. Greep
Almost. It's
Grew, F. and Griffiths, N. 1991: 'The pre-Flavian military belt: the evidence from Britain', Archaeologia 109, 47-84
Mike Bishop
Ha... amazing, quoted his name off the top of my head and yet it turns out to be the reference in your bibliography immediately above the one you correctly mention! His articles will actually also be of interest.
Thanks Mike but would also like to hear more of your thoughts on the Auxiliary kit in this and the other thread.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
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Ah yes, bracae I'm very keen on, but the buttock length auxiliary tunics depicted on the Column - I can live without ! To avoid a thread duplication, I'll post onto the other thread.
Quote:Quote:Its strange that there are so many reconstructions (typically paintings) that feature auxiliaries without any belt at all (just a baldric), I guess they're based on the auxiliaries depicted on Trajan's Column.
Indeed they are Paul. The column also shows a different type of tunic to the Rhineland stele and the use of bracae. It would be nice to have more tombstone evidence of the quality of the early stuff from Germany to compare the column too, in particular from Britain.
Graham.
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Auxiliaries are also shown with baldrics but no belts on the Adamklissi metopes, also dating to the early second century AD and commemorating Trajan's Dacian campaigns.
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