I have been persuaded to enter a half-marathon charity walk for my museum dressed as a Roman. The ROM's Deputy Director for Engagement suggested that he and I dress this way to raise awareness of the Pompeii exhibition coming to the ROM in 2015 (this is still hush-hush so please don't pass that around!). I was intending to put together the equipment of the Herculaneum soldier anyway for programming during the exhibition, so it was just a matter of getting on to my reenactment costume maker ahead of time. However, I'd like advice on one aspect of this:
THE POINT: Is it really a good idea to attempt a half-marathon walk (over 13 miles, on pavement) in real caligae? Has anyone done this, and if so, where did they get their caligae from? Would I be ejected from RAT if I wore tevas just this once?
I have challenged the local re-enactors to join the team, so we will see if people with broken-in caligae rise to the challenge!
Robert Mason D.Phil (Oxon)
World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C1, Canada.
E-mail: [email protected]
this is entirely doable, but I highly recommend covering at least as many miles in those very caligae with all the equipment you intend to carry before the actual event.
I remember my own preparations for a 2 week march many years ago - initially I was only able to cover about 2.5km/h because I was constantly stopping in order to readjust things that became loose, scratched, banged, were uncomfortable or unbalanced etc. Eventually I did an even 4.5 - 5 km/h with a total weight of about 71kg (body weight, naked) + around 34kg equipment (incl. tunic, shoes etc.) = 105kg.
On a personal note: too bad I only get to "know" you now - would have been great to meet while I was living in Montreal in 2012/13 :-(
Graham, thank you, I had a read and it is a very good thread, although it doesn't actually address the issue of the neophyte trying to be authentic on a 13 mile walk! I certainly can't go barefoot, although I have often wondered how a lifetime of bare-footedness influenced the Roman soldier. Certainly, a soldier of the period would be able to march 13 miles in his footwear, or possibly bare-footed, but what should *I* do?
Martin, thank you, that is very encouraging. I see that you make shoes! Want to make some for me? Any suggestion to what exactly the Herculaneum soldier was wearing? It's a pity you couldn't make it to the ROM Roman programmes in 2012 and 2013! I put together a Dura-Europos kit, and we got the local re-enactors in. It was a great time!
Robert Mason D.Phil (Oxon)
World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C1, Canada.
E-mail: [email protected]
Robert,
I am a retired Marine MSgt. As I always say. Proper, Prior, Planing, Prevents, Piss, Poor, Performance. Set up a progressive training program, makink appropriate adjustments to gear as you go along and you will be fine. Just show up and you will probably suffer. As always this is just my opinion as humble as it may be.
I have painted a reconstruction of the Herculaneum Marine. It appeared in Ancient Warfare magazine and is on my website gsillustrator.co.uk but I will post you a picture.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
I have painted a reconstruction of the Herculaneum Marine. It appeared in Ancient Warfare magazine and is on my website gsillustrator.co.uk but I will post you a picture.
Graham.
I have the article, thanks Graham! Did you get to study the finds closely? I was wondering about the tools.
Robert Mason D.Phil (Oxon)
World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C1, Canada.
E-mail: [email protected]
Hi Robert
Checking my mail It seems I also posted you the picture last year.
Raffaele D'Amato sent me details of the tools as he had seen them when they were on exhibition. There was also a publication at the time to accompany the exhibition. Da Pompei a Roma Histoires d'une eruption Pompei, Herculaneum, Oplontis.
Bruxelles 2003-2004 I think there is also an English lanuage edition available.
Martin's boots would be ideal. I also think someone does a reconstruction of the belts or has posted pictures on RAT.
With all those stakes and a hammer he was actually a Vampire slayer!
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
Quote:Hi Robert
Checking my mail It seems I also posted you the picture last year.
Graham.
You did indeed! Thanks again! I am in fact basing my clothing on your drawing, and have ordered the belt from the Konigs. I'm getting a copy of the Guttman gladius made rather than try to copy the weirdness of the Herculaneum chap's sword. I will get my sword-maker to make the Herculaneum dagger. Since there is no evidence for a metal-framework scabbard I'm thinking it would have a leather framework like the metal one, as suggested for the Masada leather sheath fragment. But that leaves the tools. In the text of your article with D'Amato it says "On his shoulder he wore a bag with tools: three chisels and a small iron hammer, together with some unidentified iron remains." Later on it is said that the hammer "is identical to that held by Longidienus on his stela."
[attachment=10614]b838a3576beeac2c665026a7999b1438.jpg[/attachment]
That's Longidienus. So is it possible that the adze looked like this one on the right?
[attachment=10615]tl_adze_72.jpg[/attachment]
Also, were the chisels gouges, or mortise chisels?
I also can't find reference to Buffius' stakes in the text, how many did he have? Were they really stakes, or is it possible they were the handle of a mallet, or the shaft of a drill?
Robert Mason D.Phil (Oxon)
World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C1, Canada.
E-mail: [email protected]
Graham Sumner post=358738 Wrote:With all those stakes and a hammer he was actually a Vampire slayer!
we should call him Van Helsing
Yeah, I'm thinking of going with Buffius. The kids will get that one.
But back to stakes, this is the sort of thing had me thinking of something other than vampires:
[attachment=10622]6a577f7f947289051fd03fc736459859.jpg[/attachment]
Carpenter's mallet from Spain (note the shaft. It's a stick)
[attachment=10623]2f0aafb7e3e5ed5e334669217757455b.jpg[/attachment] Carpenter's gravestone at BM (note the drill's bow, a long stick, also the adze and what is probably a socketed chisel, which would need a mallet, not a hammer, like the Herculaneum ones)
[attachment=10624]f73b02767da73bb83703fbb0e7cfe388.jpg[/attachment]
This image I actually got from a carpenter's blog, but it is said to be from Pompeii. He has a mallet, and also of interest is the workbench. Look at the legs. It might be hypothesized that they could actually be removed so the bench could be easily transported, the legs he would put in his bag, and carry the work surface as a board under his arm.
Robert Mason D.Phil (Oxon)
World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C1, Canada.
E-mail: [email protected]
Hi Robert
Good luck to you! Best wear a pair of really good caligae or calcei, such as those made by Sarah Juniper here in the UK (she ships worldwide). Get a modern sole put on your footwear - there's no point having hobs in a half marathon, on pavement - you'll wear them out, and if it's wet, you'll break your neck. I have two pairs of Sarah's calcei - one set hobnailed, in which I walked Hadrian's Wall last year (circa 130 km), and a pair that have a modern rubber gripping sole - I use them on shorter marches and at events. (They take weeks of breaking in, however, so be sure to get them well in advance. Sarah's caligae don't take as long to break in - my friend, Anthony Riches, wore a set of Sarah's caligae this year, in Italy, over 140+ km.)
Good luck.
Ben Kane, bestselling author of the Eagles of Rome, Spartacus and Hannibal novels.
Eagles in the Storm released in UK on March 23, 2017.
Aguilas en la tormenta saldra en 2017.
Quote:Hi Robert
Raffaele D'Amato sent me details of the tools as he had seen them when they were on exhibition. There was also a publication at the time to accompany the exhibition. Da Pompei a Roma Histoires d'une eruption Pompei, Herculaneum, Oplontis.
Bruxelles 2003-2004 I think there is also an English lanuage edition available.
Graham.
Hi Graham,
I looked into this catalogue and it does not seem to have the tools. Do you think Raffaele would agree to posting his photographs in this august venue? Even if you could say that they are like other published objects it would help, like these, for instance:
[attachment=10737]415954_2014-09-12.jpg[/attachment]
Robert Mason D.Phil (Oxon)
World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C1, Canada.
E-mail: [email protected]
Robert Mason D.Phil (Oxon)
World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C1, Canada.
E-mail: [email protected]
