Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Was Legion equipment standard issue?
#1
The popular image of post-Marian reforms Roman legions is that of professionalism soldiers with uniform equipment issued to them. I've never really looked into how accurate this image was, were legions really equipped in identical fashion or was it more of a patchwork job?

I've always assumed it varied from Legion to Legion, but is there evidence that uniformity of equipment spanned from legion to legion?
Tom

{Insert Well Known Idiom Here}
Reply
#2
This is a question that I have pondered for some time as well. My own research has led me to a theory that the Roman Army issued general specifications for each each piece of equipment (i.e. armor, swords, helmets, & etc.). These specifications were then sent to the major legionarary fortresses, where local craftsmen manufactured the equipment from the specifications provided, as interpreted by local customs, conditions or commanders/soldiers input. That would possibly explain why similar items differed from Britain to Germainy to Jeruselum.
Cheers,

Ralph Young
Clinton, UT
Reply
#3
Quote:The popular image of post-Marian reforms Roman legions is that of professionalism soldiers with uniform equipment issued to them. I've never really looked into how accurate this image was, were legions really equipped in identical fashion or was it more of a patchwork job?

I've always assumed it varied from Legion to Legion, but is there evidence that uniformity of equipment spanned from legion to legion?
I think that you have to keep in mind that preindustrial standardization was not like standardization in the last century or so. In the 16th or 17th century, for example, military men recognized things like “a caliver with a barrel thus-and-so long taking balls n-to-the-pound rolling in” or "a good morion." A large purchase of kit meeting those specifications would not fall into a single class in a modern archaeological typology, but it was functionally equivalent within the capabilities of the day. After all, each shop in a given city would make calivers slightly differently, and each city would make them differently from its neighbours.

Similarly, I think we have reasonable evidence that a variety of types of body armour and pila were in use at a given place and time, but they were clearly "close enough" or "useful variations" for the Romans. Probably, soldiers with money or inherited kit used that, and other soldiers bought from stores.
Nullis in verba

I have not checked this forum frequently since 2013, but I hope that these old posts have some value. I now have a blog on books, swords, and the curious things humans do with them.
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Use of the standard to issue commands? Tony Riches 7 1,807 04-13-2009, 07:35 AM
Last Post: Caballo

Forum Jump: