I manage the international relationships for the company “Archeos Srl” of Architect Silvanio Mattesini.
Since 30 years Silvano Mattesini occupies himself with the study and reconstruction of Etruscan, Italic, Roman and Gladiator equipment.
With the pieces he has reconstructed faithfully Silvano Mattesini created a mobile exposition in 2009 which has been exposed in various cities and museums in Italy.
At the moment a large part of the pieces, but not all, can be seen in the museum of the stadium of Domitian under Piazza Navona in Rome. We are interested to know if there is a museum in Europe interested to display this exposition which is available from October 2015.
He says "Hm" because there is no evidence for leather segmentatas and for all we know they are a modern invention based on failed interpretation of Roman art.
Wow you guys are quick to shoot him down. Do I support the theory of Leather Armor in the Roman Army? No. But the guy just asked for help finding a museum for a display, not for you guys to go out of the way and criticize him.
Look, I may not have much for social skills, but I don't go out of my way to be rude.
[I am in no way acting in any official capacity as a moderator here]
I guess that more than 70% of all the reconstructed body armors which were not made in bronze, and thus survived, are subject to interpretation. I further assume that there is nobody that can say for certain that his interpretation or reconstruction is the correct one. Further if you can see discrepancies on a 700 dpi internet picture than there is a career for you at the television series CSI.
Silvano Mattesini has been reconstructing Italic, Roman and Greek military equipment for 30 years now, he has written 11 books on the subject and three are in preparation to be published. Silvano has never stated that his interpretations of body armor are completely correct. He is open to criticism and a good discussion. If you really desire to be a correct critic, buy an easy jet ticket for Rome and I will take you to the exposition at piazza Navona which is quite big and only a small part of the total collection.
As for the leather segmentata I am not so sure that there never has been one, no one has ever been found but that does not mean they did not exist at one time or that they have been experimented. Have you ever tried to chop down a tree in a lorica segmentata or dig a trench as is depicted on the column of Trajan? And I do not mean to do it in a flimsy Lorica segmentata manufactured in India but in something more realistic of thicker, heavier carbon steel like I have worn when we at Leg XXX did these experiments. After 5 minutes you will be begging for a light and more flexible leather segmentata. Who knows, maybe inside some legions there were crafty leather workers who after a request from a smart legionair with an idea did not start to manufacture some of these leather segmenata. Study some of the images of Trajan’s column and a little doubt will arise if al the segmentata depicted is manufactured from carbon steel.
Attached some of the helmets made by Silvano
Please find attached for the people who can read Italian under you Vexillum with the experiment in trench digging -- cannot attach it-to heavy- Anyone who desires it please drop me a mail [email protected]
I did see the exhibit in Rome when I was there in January. I need to point out that in the display of the falx, the images you use are from our own Legio XX website, depicting Steve Peffley and his own recreation (by Mark Morrow) of a falx, cutting through one of our shields. I am actually standing in the background in some of the photos (see link below). It would be most polite to give credit for the images.
Robert, have you tried contacting museums like Tullie House in Cumbria, or some of the museums on Hadrian's Wall? Other small museums that might be interested would include Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chedworth Villa, Corinium Museum, the Roman Baths at Bath and others. 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:I guess that more than 70% of all the reconstructed body armors which were not made in bronze, and thus survived, are subject to interpretation. I further assume that there is nobody that can say for certain that his interpretation or reconstruction is the correct one. Further if you can see discrepancies on a 700 dpi internet picture than there is a career for you at the television series CSI.
No problem. e.g. a first century belt with a third century helmet on a single display is easy to recognize. Your guesses are not evidence, mind you.
Quote:Silvano Mattesini has been reconstructing Italic, Roman and Greek military equipment for 30 years now, he has written 11 books on the subject and three are in preparation to be published.
Which is no argument about the correctness of these things.
Quote:As for the leather segmentata I am not so sure that there never has been one, no one has ever been found but that does not mean they did not exist at one time or that they have been experimented. Have you ever tried to chop down a tree in a lorica segmentata or dig a trench as is depicted on the column of Trajan? And I do not mean to do it in a flimsy Lorica segmentata manufactured in India but in something more realistic of thicker, heavier carbon steel like I have worn when we at Leg XXX did these experiments. After 5 minutes you will be begging for a light and more flexible leather segmentata. Who knows, maybe inside some legions there were crafty leather workers who after a request from a smart legionair with an idea did not start to manufacture some of these leather segmenata. Study some of the images of Trajan’s column and a little doubt will arise if al the segmentata depicted is manufactured from carbon steel.
Again, no evidence, just speculation and personal experience.
Hi, I saw the image of the shield. I will be at the exibition of Friday and meet Silvano, if there is no reference yet than I will ask him to put it.
Will let you know the outcome. semper fidelis
Hi Ben, I have tried the Chesterholm Museum at Vindolanda but they do not have the space --- we require 700 to 1000 sguare meters to display everything. At the moment our search for a museum is on hold because we are preparing new information material. I will try the museums you mention as soon I have this material ready. Semper Fideles - Batavius
Is there any evidence of that diamond shaped armor on the third century soldier with the first century belt and Deepeeka gladius? I am very interested.
