The wearing of animal pelts

[FlorivsVirilis]

Salvete Omnes!

I have recently seen an article on scene 36 of Trajan's column mentioning one of the auxiliaries (most probably germanic) wearing a wolf pelt (I would upload an image of the fellow but I can't find the link anymore, unfortunately). I'm aware that Trajan's Column can't necessarily be relied upon concerning the armour of Roman soldiers, but is there any evidence other evidence of auxiliaries wearing pelts in the same manner of a signifer i.e. with the limbs and body still attached? I have seen many reconstructions of the republican velites wearing full pelts (also, out of interest, which sources suggest the velites doing this).

I have seen attempts by both artists and re-enactors alike to do this, but what do our sources say on this matter?



http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_em7kDZA0dKg/Sl...d+copy.jpg

[jvrjenivs]

You might find this article about Batavian helmets by our fellow board member Adrian Wink/Peronis interesting

[noxia]

Perhaps you should have a look into these publications:

M. Speidel, Ancient germanic warriors. Warrior styles from the Trajan´s Column to Icelandic sagas (but don´t believe what he writes concerning the Thorsberg helmet! there he is wrong)

Egon Wamers, Von Bären und Männern. Berserker, Bärenkämpfer und Bärenführer im frühen Mittelalter. ZAM Zeitschrift für Archäologie des Mittelalters, Jahrgang 37, 2009, Seiten 1–46

[Peroni]

Read Tacitus’ concise and plausible account of the siege at Vetera or Gelduba by Julius Civilis at the end of September 69. Tacitus ‘The Histories’ book IV.

He describes the use of furs/skins in one of the night time assaults.

[FlorivsVirilis]

Read Tacitus’ concise and plausible account of the siege at Xanten (Vetera) by Julius Civilis at the end of September 69. Tacitus ‘The Histories’ book IV.

He describes the use of furs/skins in one of the night time assaults.

I've had a look in book 4 here http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/histories.4.iv.html, but I can't seem to find the quote :???: