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Re: Show here your Roman soldier impression
#16
Hard to know if a black shield would say to the viewer, "We bring death. Don't mess with us."

(Pompey's putting on a black cloak, though, that was a sure sign of mourning, and the troops didn't like that one bit.)
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#17
David wrote...
Quote:Hard to know if a black shield would say to the viewer, "We bring death. Don't mess with us."

One of the reasons we looked at black...
  • black was a commonly used Roman colour

  • It looks good and sets off the gold floral pattern we have very nicely

  • It was a good colour to use for over-painting the previous colour

  • It differentiates our new group from our previous group's auxiliaries

  • It's easy to touch up big gouges/scratches

  • Black does look mean :wink:

Also leather can be dyed black very easily with iron dyebaths, so a leather shield facing in black could be easily attained.
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#18
I still wonder how uniform the roman army was, were shields al the same as tunic and helmet or was the shield different for every cetury or cohort anyone an aswer? :?:
AgrimensorLVCIVS FLAVIVS SINISTER
aka Jos Cremers
member of CORBVLO
ESTE NIX PAX CRISTE NIX
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#19
Quote:I still wonder how uniform the roman army was, were shields al the same as tunic and helmet or was the shield different for every cetury or cohort anyone an aswer? :?:
For the Late Roman army it was the same for the entire unit. Ammianus tells us how even the Alamanni could recognise their Roman opponent by their shields.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#20
Maurice, a bit later, however, states flatly that differeent cohorts had different coloured shields for identification purposes. That was in 600AD though ... :?
Paul Elliott

Legions in Crisis
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/17815...d_i=468294

Charting the Third Century military crisis - with a focus on the change in weapons and tactics.
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#21
Quote:Maurice, a bit later, however, states flatly that differeent cohorts had different coloured shields for identification purposes. That was in 600AD though ... :?
That's no surprise, for by that time the unit colours seem to have been taken over by flags.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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