For a legate impression, would purple be the color of choice? Would the paludamentum be purple, would his boots be purple….sword baldric ecc OR is purple only for the emperor and the like while a legate would have similar clothing color to other soldiers albeit better quality.
I was thinking of using a deep red paludamentum and the same for the leather boots I will make. I was then entertaining the idea of coloring the baldric of the sword in purple. However, this would appear to me as inconsistent because purple is expensive and if it were used on a baldric then why not on the other clothing.
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
Wonderful Christian.....it only requires a bank to have enough color. However, the question was if for a legate, purple would be the correct color to use and if mixing red color garments with purple colored items, would be logical...correct....whatever.
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
I would think it incredibly unwise for a senatorial legate to wear purple! Since there are cases of men being arrested and executed just for possessing or ordering purple clothing, and the word purple itself being a common euphemism for the imperial office, any senator appearing in command of troops while wearing purple was likely to be regarded as a possible contender for the throne...
However, I might be wrong - I believe that in the later empire (by which time purple was sanctified as an attribute of imperial rule, and 'adoring the purple' was an aspect of imperial protocol) purple did appear often on clothing, albeit as decorative bands etc. Perhaps an entirely or largely purple garment would still be seen as an objectionable presumption!
I really liked the site Christian. I acutally saved it. Too bad the prices are a little high :roll:
I was thinking the same thing Nathan but I was not too sure. I know that red and other colors are a better choice (not black).
Do you think then that only a purple baldric would be acceptable? I have garments generally for regular milites and for centurions.
However, since I would also like to put together a high ranking officer such as a legionary legate, I thought they would have sported purple. Eitherway, I asked to see what some of the thoughts on RAT would be.
Thanks
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
Legatus is one of the senatorial class.
The office was exercised by former praetors or (in provinces where several legions were stationed) consuls.
After Lukan senators wore black calcei with two bands and a crescent of Silver or ivory.
Their tunics had a broad purple stripe (knights wore a narrow).
The toga was white.
Only Consul, praetors and boys up to their 14th Age were the toga with a purple edge wear (toga praetexta).
It is part of the official costume of the curule magistrates, that means all officials with consular or praetorian Empire and the municipal officials.
Whether they wore as Legatus these strips on the toga and her tunic is uncertain. But possible. But as they continue an empire held, I believe that they did.
Thanks for the information. At least I know that I may have to alter my tunic and add purple stripes or have one made with integral purple stripes. I am putting together a legionary legate kit where I already have a musculata and a deep red paludamentum. I also have a subarmalis that has blue and yellow pteryges. Now, someone is making a parazonium for me and asked what color to make the baldric. I thought at first purple. However, from your post it would be best to leave it in the original leather color after oiling or maybe dye it red.
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
I've never before seen these two.Thanks.And it seems to me that even his tunic, or at least parts thereof are covered with red, so it's probably a rare surviving depiction of a Roman soldier in a red tunic!I may be wrong but I find that also his cloak still has some sandy yellow tint like those on many frescoes and mosaic of possible Roman soldiers.
But I can not agree that they are always just red, it were often in red or even mostly in red but not always and completely.
I do not think they were all red.
If we look at it scientifically, then we only have this color.
With the discovery, there was no color edges. Sorry!
That would have been great.
Would you wear a red belt to a red tunic? Or a Roman?
The Romans have always placed value on more color, as with iron and brass (Segmentata, Pugios, helmets ...)
Also on the mosaics we always see that they combined several colors.
I agree Ritchie. I happen to like red, however. I would also like black, blue, or purple. But black and purple have implications that make them unlikely and blue would be something more appropiate for naval wear????? I can always change the color. My kit is already composed of several colors because I agree with your statement that the Romans loved color.
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
Quote:Would you wear a red belt to a red tunic? Or a Roman?
I don't know - I think red on red might look pretty good! Especially for the Mars-like attributes, maybe?
I'm sure I remember a couple of the paintings in one of Graham Sumner's Roman Military Clothing books showing just this combination - including one of the emperor Probus (I think) that might be based on the relief shown above.
But perhaps this might be more appropriate for a later Roman look?
Quote:But black and purple have implications that make them unlikely and blue would be something more appropiate for naval wear?????
There's the note in Vegetius about sailors in Britain wearing blue, but this was more of an attempt at camouflage! Otherwise, there's soemthing in Plautus (IIRC) about sailors wearing 'iron colour', which might be red or grey.
So blue could work, I'm sure. Black, as you say, would look ghoulish...
