\'Definitive\' List of Legionary\'s Belongings

[Paul Elliott]

I'm trying to compile a list of items that a legionary or auxiliary might own. This is a thought experiment, obviously, but it might be helpful to consider what was provided by the state or by the fort, and what constituted personal belongings. Of greatest interest to me is the question of what a soldier took with him on the march, but to get there I think it is best to also look at the broader picture of his belongings.

We often read about the baggage train, about galerii (military servants guarding the train) and soldier's dismay at having found the train ransacked. What was in the train, left with the mules and wagons, what was carried? To help in my impression, I've created this working list.... comments are welcome:

ON THE MARCH (Away from fort, marching camp)
Cloak & Brooch
Sewing Kit
Fire Starting KIt
Pan/Patera
Spoon
Wooden Bowl
Knife
String/Leather Thonging
Iron Skewer
Money Pouch
Leather Waterskin (if summer/hot climate)
Whetstone
Small Glass Bottle for Oil Ration
Spare Socks
Amulet or Dog Tag
Sling
Comb/Horn or Bone
Chateline Set for Hygiene
Small Axe/or Sickle

OTHER ITEMS KEPT AT THE CAMP/BARRACKS
Dice /Knucklebones
Pottery Wine Cup
Writing Tablet & Stylus
Portable Pottery Altar (10cm tall)
2 x Bronze God Figurines
Gaming Counters
Folding Frying Pan
Spare Tunic
Leg Wraps
Oil Lamp
Lead Sling Bullets
Spare hobnails
Wooden Plate
Spare shoes
Strigil
Shaving Razor

Tools? Hammer, Pliers, Hand Saw, Nails, etc, Oiled Cloth

GROUP KIT (Contubernium)
8 baskets
Quern Stone
Tent and Pegs and Poles
Rope
Spade x2
Mattock x2
Dolabra x 3?
Turf Cutters x2?
Mule?? Or acquired when needed for campaign?

[Jori]

I don't know if you count it on your chatelaine, but I would include a strigil on your list. And an item or two from my country or my family.
The glass bottle for oil ration, I'm not sure of it, as it would break apart. Better use a smal iron canteen.

Ad to this list another pair of spare caligae.

[Paul Elliott]

I have a strigil ... personal belonging or provided by the fort? I remember seeing a slave on the Villa Armerina mosaic, I think he might have been carrying a strigil and oil flask for his mistress.

[Jori]

Items provided by the fort? I thought that those items would be provided yes, but their cost would be retained in the salary, so everything would be personal belongings, if the legionary have to pay for it.

Maybe you could split the items in two sorts: items mandatory for the legionary, and "accessory" items?

[Paul Elliott]

My meaning was, could a strigil be something provided for use by the bath-house? But I agree, it is more liklely a soldier provided his own...

[Vindex]

Crest
Crest attachment
sinew (unless that counts as string)
small pot of salve/grease for first aid (wax seal)
Personal wealth items - jewelry? (ring, torque, armillae)

I don't think any of it would be owned by the state as such as Jori says - they'd take it out of his wages.

What do you think they would drink out of on the march?

[jkaler48]

Servant! (perhaps shared)

Two or perhaps three of the following entrenching tools:
Chain
Rope
baskets
Shovel
Axe
Pickax (one of several varieties)
Turf Cutter/Bark stripper
Hook
(with at least one of each in the 8 man tent party and the most common being the pick axe)


Fulcra
Leather bags
Blanket and/or spare cloak
1/8 ownership of a tent, poles and stakes

[M. Demetrius]

I tend to think (modern camping thinking, admittedly) that any utensil of other piece of equipment that could be given double duty would have been. While a patera is large enough to cook a portion of whatever, it's also small enough to be a cup for water or posca, or whatever else.

It's very possible a soldier would possess his own strigil, as a soldier on campaign would not often be near a conventional bath, but some measure of hygiene would be expected, and that's how they cleaned their bodies. Oil and scrape. Probably not a lot of full baths being taken on the march, though.

By analogy, it's like a soldier owning a bar/bottle of soap and a washcloth these days, isn't it? Sure at camp, where there's a shower set up, there would be both inside and available, but out in the field, not so much...back to the wet wipe and hand sanitizer gel.

[Jori]

About the strigil : I think you need it, even when you are in the middle of a forest, where is no bath house.
jkaler48 > maybe some of the items you provided were in common with the 8 men of the contubernia?

3 or 4 would have a dolabra, 2 or 3 men would have baskets, a servant for the 8...
The leather bag to carry everything is of course essential (mantica and pera).

Consider having dices always with you Roman liked to play, even when marching...

[Paul Elliott]

On water - I am of the opinion that armies and soldiers in general used freshwater around them, with commanders planning the route of the march via watercourses. But I could be wrong!

Strigils- they only work with oil don't they? I'm not sure soldiers would carry oil for body rubs in their marching kit...

[Paul Elliott]

A shaving razor! Now where can I get one of those ...?

[Jori]

This one http://www.replik-shop.de/product_info.p...cts_id=559 by Markus Neidhart is a pure beauty

And yes, I think a roman soldier would carry with him olive oil in a metal canteen. Olive oil was absolutely essential, not only for hygiene, but also for cooking or for light.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

That wouldn't happen to be the same as the old "Replik-online.de"?

[Jori]

No, it isn't. The site you mention is from Erik Konig (he did my gladius, btw).

[Paul Elliott]

Yes the sites names can cause confusion, I've bought from them both before ... Excellent work.