Roman Subarmalis

[GermanRifle]

Hey folks. Just had a basic question on subarmalis. Was there any decoration devices on the petruges? I see the common fringe on most or nothing at all. Where there any metal devices...like animals or danglies? Also where is a good place in the states to buy the "proper" fringe?

[A_Volpe]

I'm not aware of any finds or indications of metal decorations on the ptergyes / flaps, and I've never seen dangly terminals or straps like what we see on many 1st century belts.

As for fringe - raid your local arts & crafts and fabric stores.

[M. Demetrius]

You can make fringe yourself. It's tedious, but satisfying once completed. That way, you get to decide what color/fiber type you want.

[Crispvs]

I think that many people base their idea of pteruges on those depicted on statues of emperors or generals. Study of these images is certainly interesting, but personally I doubt that this brings us very close to what soldiers in the field would have been equipped with. The emperor statues feature pteruges which appear to be woven (the outer layer at least), which are edged, perhaps with leather, and which feature fringes, which may or may not be made from the twisted ends of the threads the outer layers are woven from. By contrast (and even allowing for possible painted details which have been lost), the pteruges depicted on military funerary stelae (eg - M. Favonius Facilis, M. Caelius and C. Castricius Victor) seem much plainer. One gets the impression of looking at slabs of thick, undecorated leather.

I make two assumptions about pteruges. Firstly, that they were intended as flexible protection which extended beyond the extent of the hard armour, and secondly that their origin was related, either directly or indirectly to the pteruges which featured on the much earlier linothorax.

These two assumptions lead me to a third assumption: that they should be sufficiently robust as to be able to dissipate a good deal of blunt force trauma.

Working on the assumption of a descent from the linothorax and given the stiff appearance on the stelae, pteruges could be made from multiple layers of stiff linen or perhaps even strips of rawhide with linen and/or leather outer layers. It has sometime also occurred to me that the reason pteruges are generally shown with two or more layers might not be just to allow to coverage of gaps created by movement, but might also be to allow a tough outer layer combined with padded inner layers to reduce blunt force trauma. Either way, I wouldn't put fringes on the pteruges of a frontline soldier.

If you want to depict a general in 'parade dress' on the other hand.....

Crispvs

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I always imagined pteurges would have been weighted at the end, with maybe a metal edge, so they hung better, especially when moving. Sort of like that thing metal trim at the end of some late roman spathae.

[Alexand96]

I think that many people base their idea of pteruges on those depicted on statues of emperors or generals. Study of these images is certainly interesting, but personally I doubt that this brings us very close to what soldiers in the field would have been equipped with. The emperor statues feature pteruges which appear to be woven (the outer layer at least), which are edged, perhaps with leather, and which feature fringes, which may or may not be made from the twisted ends of the threads the outer layers are woven from. By contrast (and even allowing for possible painted details which have been lost), the pteruges depicted on military funerary stelae (eg - M. Favonius Facilis, M. Caelius and C. Castricius Victor) seem much plainer. One gets the impression of looking at slabs of thick, undecorated leather.

I make two assumptions about pteruges. Firstly, that they were intended as flexible protection which extended beyond the extent of the hard armour, and secondly that their origin was related, either directly or indirectly to the pteruges which featured on the much earlier linothorax.

These two assumptions lead me to a third assumption: that they should be sufficiently robust as to be able to dissipate a good deal of blunt force trauma.

Working on the assumption of a descent from the linothorax and given the stiff appearance on the stelae, pteruges could be made from multiple layers of stiff linen or perhaps even strips of rawhide with linen and/or leather outer layers. It has sometime also occurred to me that the reason pteruges are generally shown with two or more layers might not be just to allow to coverage of gaps created by movement, but might also be to allow a tough outer layer combined with padded inner layers to reduce blunt force trauma. Either way, I wouldn't put fringes on the pteruges of a frontline soldier.

If you want to depict a general in 'parade dress' on the other hand.....

Crispvs

As someone who's taken a great deal of time looking into and ruminating on the subarmalis, I'd just like to add my vote of confidence and general agreement with everything Crispus says. Excellent and succinct summary!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Yes I agree with frater Crispus on this point!
And second Alex's agreement!!

[koechlyruestow]

Actually, I found Evan's point very interesting too. The stiff pteruges of the linothorax often show a horizontal strip at the end, might have been such a strip of metal to weight them down.

[Titvs Statilivs Castvs]

If the pteryges are strong enough to prevent blunt trauma, then they will be heavy/stiff enough to hang correctly on their own. I once started making pteryges but never finished them (I have about 10 ready, I think), and I made them of two layers of felt and two layers of linen. They certainly were stiff enough to hang straight down.

[spoiler][attachment=7125]Image00001.jpg[/attachment][/spoiler]

Pity I won't finish them probably.

[Virilis]

I have some silly thoughts about this. How about if the ends of the shoulder pteryges were tied together making a kind of more solid cup for shoulders? In many late roman statues the shoulder pteryges look almost like sleeves.

[M. Demetrius]

Looks like good work, Statilius. And that chart on the wall...where did you get that? It looks very comprehensive.

[Titvs Statilivs Castvs]

It's the one that has been advertised here on RAT, by Martin Moser amongst others. It's a timeline with equipment, emperors and important historical events. ;-)
Figured it would be a nice background for the photograph.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

If the pteryges are strong enough to prevent blunt trauma, then they will be heavy/stiff enough to hang correctly on their own. I once started making pteryges but never finished them (I have about 10 ready, I think), and I made them of two layers of felt and two layers of linen. They certainly were stiff enough to hang straight down.

[spoiler][attachment=7125]Image00001.jpg[/attachment][/spoiler]

Pity I won't finish them probably.

Most Roman Subarmalis was not stiff linen though, we believe it to be leather and I know that the pteurges like to bunch or get tangled up if they're in multiple layers. Metal trim would keep that, as it would be heavier than the weight of the leather themselves.

[Alexand96]

Most Roman Subarmalis was not stiff linen though, we believe it to be leather...

I've not heard that this is the consensus. AFIK, we have absolutely no evidence for a Roman arming garment such as a subarmalis at all. Even if you look to statues or paintings for evidence, the only discernible hints we see are textile-like weave on statues and bright white colors in paintings for ptyruges. Of course, I do believe that leather would have been used, and that Caesar's famous quote regarding "jerkins of leather or hide" probably points to this, but I wouldn't say that we know x material was used more than y material without more supporting evidence.

Not to be too picky with wording, but the whole idea of the subarmalis as we know it has vexed me for some time now...if only we could just find a couple remnants!!

[Flavivs Aetivs]

The ND lists Fabricae that make leather cuirasses, presumably subarmalis. Maybe linen was more common in the east?