Show here your Roman soldier impression

[IGNATIUS LARRASUS PROFUTURUS]

Vegecio explains the possibility that the heads of each unit, ordered his men be placed identifications. Book Three, Chapter Five.

[M. Val. Naso]

Hi guys!

We have just uploaded pictures from Savaria Carneval, from August 2012. This is roughly how we looked then. For this year's season we will make new scabbards, swords, tunics, pants, and a lot of smaller expansions/developments.

Please try to spot and write here every little thing that annoys you, so we can try to become better for Marle. Cheers!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=...231&type=3

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Mark,

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=...231&type=3

Just some friendly suggestions, overall I think you are already doing a good job!
- try to avoid a 'uniform' impression. I know the public may expect it, but it's 19th century and 'Hollywood-ism', and by no means proven from Antiquity. For all we know one legionary differed from the next guy.
- pteryges: instead of a single row, try to do a double row (one short, one long, I notice some alreade have that) and if possible each row with a double layer. If not, it becomes a fashion thing rather than something belonging to armour.
- what dark brown garment are some of you wearing over your tunics?
- some tunics differed, but I notice that no tunics sleeves are actually as narrow as they should be. same for trousers btw.
- picture 34/35: the fibula goes on the right shoulder.

[M. Val. Naso]

Uniform impression comes from the mass production of v1.0 tunics. Now we try to diversify them, with way more colours, at least for half of the team. This is the same problem with the patterns of our tunics.

My pteryges was really bad, I am aware. I'll try to make one advised by you.

That dark brown garment is a sleeveless tunic, just worn under mail shirts, for ones who do not have subarmalis yet, or when they do not want to take the subarmalis under the mail in a hot march, but you still need something to keep the ornaments from damage by the mail.

[Robert Vermaat]

you still need something to keep the ornaments from damage by the mail.

Indeed. I would advise either buying a cheap tunica manicata or simply wearing an undecorated tunica when wearing armour. After all, a tunica manicata was not a cheap piece of clothing and I really doubt it was worn under such dmaging armour. Aftyer all, local fashions did exist and not all citizens took to wearing the manicata.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I'd say that a subarmalis would really help protect a Mancata.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I agree with Robert on the 2 length/double layer each approach to the subarmalis pturgues.
It would seem to be the way shown on may, and give the thickness shown on almost every depiction of them.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Unless of course we find one and it turns out to be wrong xD

[M. Demetrius]

*snort*
;-)

[Graham Sumner]

As I am not on facebook I have not seen your pictures Mark.

However as far as I know the archaeological and iconographical evidence really only supports the use of red or un-dyed material during the first century AD. There is no evidence for troops at this period using a wide variety of colours for tunics.

So if you have 10 guys in 10 different shades of red or reddish brown tunic I personally would see no problem with that.

Equally as far as I know there is little evidence for 'local fashions' either archaeologically or from the Roman sources who tend to show 'Barbarians' wearing very little or nothing at all. The sources seem to indicate the Romans were getting there clothing made up to specific dimensions. Soldiers at Vindolanda in Britain are recorded being sent to Gaul (modern France) to get clothing, not from the local village, which in any case would more than likely be set up my merchants or others following the army not by the locals. Equally wool suppliers in Egypt were sending clothing to the armies based in modern Israel and Turkey.

However my next publication will be dealing with this very issue. So if anyone does have any evidence for 'local fashions' I will be very pleased to hear it as long as it is supported by sound sources.

Graham.

[M. Demetrius]

You and I, Graham, are probably the only ones not on FB. I was, but got off for various reasons.

Looking forward to your next writing on the subjects mentioned below. Just (finally) got your Military Clothing 2 Osprey book. VERY impressed. Most excellent work. What is the centurion on the front cover saying? I wouldn't want to be the object of that conversation.

Hoists a virtual mug of sudsy barley extract in your direction!

[M. Demetrius]

You and I, Graham, are probably the only ones not on FB. I was, but got off for various reasons.

Looking forward to your next writing on the subjects mentioned below. Just (finally) got your Military Clothing 2 Osprey book. VERY impressed. Most excellent work. What is the centurion on the front cover saying? I wouldn't want to be the object of that conversation.

Hoists a virtual mug of sudsy barley-hops extract in your direction!

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Deleted Double Post

Also, I'm not on facebook either.

[M. Demetrius]

Hah! We now should form a club. "The FacelessBookers"

[ANTONIVS MAGNVS]

Neither am I!