Optio Armor

[Pointer]

Would a 1st Century Optio have worn Hamata or Seg?
And what type of helmet would he have worn?

[jvrjenivs]

We don't know. Both are possible, as well as a squamata.
As for helmets, anyone available in that time-frame will do.

[PhilusEstilius]

I have to agree with Jurjen on that question however there is a much more interesting question that needs to be answered about the Optio and that is where did he live.

For when we look at the soldiers barrack blocks we find 10 eight man rooms with the Centurians quarters on the end of the block so just where was the Optio amongst all of this.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Seeing the Centurions quarters were so big, possibly they shared them?

[jvrjenivs]

I always was in the impression the optio is a chosen soldier, and thereby part of the 80 soldiers in the century, e.g. living in one of the contubernii.

[PhilusEstilius]

I think that here I am inclined to agree with Byron that he shared with the Centurian for it would be very difficult and indeed dangerous for the Optio to live with the soldiers if he had to maybe bully or even beat one or two during the days march.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

That is what I would think too.

[PhilusEstilius]

It is where I have to relate my own experience of things military where in fact with rank comes a certain sense of responsibilliy and an NCO has left the ordinary rank and file and has at times to take charge of situations.

In the British Military there is the Corporals club and then later the Sergents Mess where one has to learn to live with those of your own kind, this is where I think that the Optio would have to learn to fashion himself after the Centurian and one day become such.

[PhilusEstilius]

If we return to the original question I think that if the ordinary soldiers were wearing Segmentata the Optio may well have had the opportunity to dress himself in the style or fashion of his leader the Centurian for indeed he would one day become of junior officer rank.

[jvrjenivs]

If we return to the original question I think that if the ordinary soldiers were wearing Segmentata

But within modern knowledge that seems to be a 'old fashioned' statement. Looking at the archaeological record shows us that many squamata and hamata were also widely used in the legions.

And what is an 'ordinary soldier' anyway?

the Optio may well have had the opportunity to dress himself in the style or fashion of his leader the Centurian for indeed he would one day become of junior officer rank.

Yes, but then again, we know less as we think we know about how the equipment of the centurio differed from that of his 'men'. Okay, we have his gladius on the left, his greaves, vitus and crista transversa, but that's it. There is also evidence for donatives worn by 'ordinary soldiers'.

It is all just not a simple as we might think it is.

[Kegluneq]

I think that here I am inclined to agree with Byron that he shared with the Centurian for it would be very difficult and indeed dangerous for the Optio to live with the soldiers if he had to maybe bully or even beat one or two during the days march.

Surely there would be some significant disincentives with regards to 'fragging' an optio? Such as the fact everyone would know who did it, and they would likely be executed horribly as a result... At the same time, even if the optio was a martinet, those values would likely be adopted by his contubernales as a source of pride (or be tolerated teasingly, as in the tent group portrayed in the Roman Army Museum on Hadrian's Wall...).

I don't think there's any evidence to say whether or not optios shared regular accomodation or lived with the Centurion, either as a rule or even in particular contexts. Barrack blocks at Valkenburg, Heidenheim etc. had enlarged blocks at the opposite end of the range to the Centurion's quarters (or directly next to them), perhaps these housed optiones or other immunes?

[PhilusEstilius]

Robert.

Where you say that you think there is no evidence to suggest that an Optio did share the Centurians quarters then by the same token is there any evidence to say that such enlarged blocks at the opposite end to the Centurians quarters at Valkenburg housed such ranks as you mention.

The Optio could not have shared a room with a Contubernium for these are only eight men rooms and he was as we all know just a little more above the ordinary soldier.

Then to answer the question of what is an ordinary soldier in the Roman army he is one who can not be considered an immunes or indeed anything other than being a plain old highly trained killing machine.

[Kegluneq]

Where you say that you think there is no evidence to suggest that an Optio did share the Centurians quarters then by the same token is there any evidence to say that such enlarged blocks at the opposite end to the Centurians quarters at Valkenburg housed such ranks as you mention.

I don't really know if there's any way to prove anything with regards to accomodation for ranks below Centurion - barring perhaps the discovery of a cache of writing tablets or ownership graffiti. Certainly not all barrack blocks even have enlarged blocks at both ends. So it remains basically a possibility as far as I know (albeit one that would pleasingly reflect the battle positions of the centurion and optio in respect to the rest of the century). There's so much variation in the layout of barrack blocks that it's possible that that kind of room allocation was done on a very local, rather than institutional basis.

The Optio could not have shared a room with a Contubernium for these are only eight men rooms and he was as we all know just a little more above the ordinary soldier.

Then to answer the question of what is an ordinary soldier in the Roman army he is one who can not be considered an immunes or indeed anything other than being a plain old highly trained killing machine.

There were probably all sorts of gradations even with the lowest ranks of the milites, based on factors such as age, strength, wit, skill in arms, specialist craft knowledge, wealth, intelligence, religious beliefs, ethnicity etc. It's possible that mess-groups were grouped together on the basis of some or all of these attributes being shared, and that an optio could therefore share quarters with the oldest/best of the century. Alternatively it could be completely random how soldiers were housed, but that doesn't necessarily mean it would be regarded as problematic for an optio to cohabit with his men.

[jvrjenivs]

Well, we might get off-topic now, but IF we agree that the optio wasn't part of the 80 soldiers, then we also need to locate the centuries standard bearer (and following Connolly) the tesserarius somewhere. Were these then all sharing the centurio's tent?

[Pointer]

Did he "Opt" out?