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09-06-2002, 02:17 PM

This may seem like an oddball question, but here goes. When I was in the service I was acquainted with an officer who had an interest in ancient/classical military history. Somehow the topic of grooming standards came up in conversation, particularly the short haircuts of the military. He mentioned something about the Roman army as being one of the first to mandate a shorter hairstyle for its soldiers. The reason for this was to make it more difficult for enemy combatants to grab a lock and pull back to expose the throat to a slash. I've never really known one way or another whether or not this was true or if it was just a reflection of Roman fashion. A close haircut makes sense for a field army as it helps reduce the chance of parasite infestations and (in these modern times) reduces the chances of a faulty seal for a chem/bio protective mask. Thanks for any replys.

09-06-2002, 03:33 PM

Salve, 
 
There was no regulation haircut in the Roman army and soldiers followed contemporary fashions, with more men depicted cleans haven when that was the current style and more beards appearing when these came in vogue. Hair was worn comparatively short, but longer than in most (foreign) armies today. The boule a zero and crewcut were not normal military hairstyles. 
 
Regards, 
 
Sander van Dorst

09-06-2002, 04:23 PM

I pretty much thought that the hair length was more of a cultural thing than a regulation, notwithstanding the hygeine benefits of the high and tight. The original point seems to be reinforced by the teachings of some modernist martial arts schools which teach students to not wear baseball-type caps (the brim can be used to control the attitude of the neck) and to have one's hair cut short. Same principle applied to police officers wearing clip-on ties so the garment simply comes away vs. being used as a weapon against the wearer. It seems an army as studied and almost scientific about the pursuit of warfare as the the Roman Legions would have realized the benefits of short hair for its troopers [lesser liklihood(sp?) of a grab-twist-slash].

09-06-2002, 07:17 PM

Salve, 
 
The soldier's hair would in battle generally have been covered by a helmet, so it would not have presented much of a problem. Length of hair preferred by military men has changed several times throughout history between short and long, and attitudes to facial hair between clean shaven or moustached and bearded. 
 
Regards, 
 
Sander van Dorst

Muzzaguchi · 09-08-2002, 11:53 PM

Hi, 
 
There are some stratagems of gernerals advising their men to keep their hair short, or to go clean shaven for just the purpose your army colleague mentioned but they are (to my knowledge) all Greek. I don't have the exact refs with me but one is in Polyaenus IV.3 on Alexander the Great and in the Teubner and therefore in the Wheeler and Krentz edition, the apparatus criticus it directs you to similar stratagems. Indeed there are several stratagems involving hair from Celtic and Germanic all the way through to the illustrious women ( don't quote me on that last one though). So I will dig out the refs and post them later. 
If only I had a second copy of all my books and could keep them at work! 
 
Cheers 
 
Muzzaguchi

09-10-2002, 09:08 AM

I would think the hair would be short to keep lice under control.

09-10-2002, 09:35 AM

As Mr. Van Dorst says, military hair fashions have varied. Vermin control does not seem to have been a huge issue. 
In the "ancient" period, barbarians and Greeks all had long hair (Spartans proverbially so). They do not seem to have been worried too much about lice. 
 
Susan

Catiline · 09-13-2002, 07:25 AM

You need to have something to do when there's no TV afterall <a href="http://pub45.ezboard.com/fromanarmytalkfrm6.showMessage?topicID=53.topic" target="Rules For Posting">

09-13-2002, 12:11 PM

As a side, this same officer once said that the Mongols would scar their faces to eliminate beard growth as a measure towards controlling louse infestations. I've never checked on the veracity of that statement, so if its not true, blame him.

Caius Fabius · 09-13-2002, 05:30 PM

Roman soldiers had baths. 
In the field, they had vermin, like everyone else. 
Short hair doesn't prevent fleas and lice, it just makes them easier to catch. 
 
As far as hair lengths, you are going to do what the people in power allow. If the centurion demands short hair, when everyone is wearing their hair long, ....do you really want to be the latrine orderly and never get a pass to town?

**Robert Vermaat** · 09-17-2002, 06:28 AM

When I did my military service, my hair suffered very badly from wearing a helmet all the time. Can any of the RAT-members with military experience confirm this? I guess that wearing a helmet for many hours a day for a longer period of time would decide your haircut for you, even in Roman times. 
 
Cheers, 
Robert 
 
'Cives Francorum, Miles Romanorum'

09-18-2002, 01:50 PM

I've never seen any studies on the subject, I'm sure someone's done one as the government seems to give out money for just about any proposal, but I don't really think the helmet would have much effect. More of a genetic issue. While the closer cropped hair wouldn't prevent infestations, field hygiene is usually difficult enough as it is and every little bit helps. When I went on our two week field exercises in the desert, I'd usually just bust out the clippers and take it down to a half inch. Not just because of regs, but rather one less thing to worry about. Besides, wearing a helmet the liner and helmet band would pull on longer hair and hurt. One less painful thing to irritate me after banging my knees on rocks, low crawling over cacti, and smacking my mouth on the rear site post hitting the ground.

09-22-2002, 10:24 PM

One of Caesar's centurions was known as"Old Bring me another" because of his habit of breaking his vine staff over the backs of his troops! The good old days! 
 
Paulinus

09-23-2002, 09:34 AM

Salve, 
 
The centurio Lucilius with the nickname of cedo alteram ('give me another') was not part of Caesar's army, but was an officer in the mutinies of 14 AD recorded in Tacitus, Annales 1.23. Caesar does mention another officer, a primus pilus, with the appropriate name of Baculus ('stick') ( Bellum Gallicum 6.38). 
 
Regards, 
 
Sander van Dorst

09-25-2002, 10:19 AM

Before the swiss army adopted more lighter types, they had a huge, very heavy helmet. And when kids showed up with long hair they did't say anything. 
Simply because after one hot summer day in the field running around with the helmet on the head (and the pack and everything..) they'd ask to get a haircut... Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=antoninuslucretius>Antoninus Lucretius</A> at: 9/25/02 12:20:10 pm

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