Show here your Roman soldier impression

[Crispvs]

I don't have the book to hand either at the moment but I am sure that the picture referred to depicts a soldier being punished by being made to wear women's clothing. I seem to remember Graham Sumner saying that the depiction of the first century AD soldier being punished by having his belts removed so that his tunic fell to its full length in RMC1 had proved popular and so he had decided to include an example of clothing worn as punishment in RMC2 as well, using a different, but historically attested example.


Franciscus,

Looking pretty good overall, although I am not sure how wearing your sword on a baldric counts as an 'old fashioned' way. I would date your impression to closer to the middle of the century as well (the same period most of us depict), as you are wearing a Corbridge type segmentata rather than a Kalkriese type which would be more appropriate for the early years of first century AD. The only thing I would suggest needs improvement is your tunic, as appears to be narrow with sleeves (which may be what is favoured by a certain well known group who also wear red tunics and brown scarves, but is not quite what the Romans themselves might have recognised. Your tunica should be wide enough that it reaches past both elbows without the need for sleeves when stood in a cruciform stance. It should be square or somewhat rectangular and shoudl also hang as far as mid calf when unbelted. A waist tie should then be tied around your waist, drawing the material of the tunica in, which will create sleeves out of the width of the material. The tunic should then be hitched up over the waist tie until the lower edge hangs four inches or so above the knee. It does not look very elegant but it is what you will see on numerous ancient depictions of soldiers in tunic order.

Crispvs