Caligae Construction

[Martin Moser]

There comes a point where you have to draw the line and say, ok, what's feasible and what isn't?

True. I only draw the line at a distinctly different range than you do. ;-) ) The point I'm trying to make is that with your equipment you are giving an impression of what things (not men) looked like. If you wear wrong things, you give a wrong impression. And I'm talking about "very visibly wrong". Of course there's grades to it. Plain wrong caligae for me are as bad as a plain wrong helmet/sword/armor/tunic/you-name-it. If it's not visible (quality of metal e.g.) or hardly visible (rivet heads on armor/helmets e.g.), ok, but own up to it and explain how it was/should be when asked about it

I hope you're the one who ONLY speaks latin while in your armour at an event, [snip rest of rant]

No, no need for me because I don't try to reenact a living roman with his language, habits, socialization. Come to think of it, I probably don't reenact at all, at least not in that sense. I try to show and explain reconstructions of things from back then that we know about and put them into cultural, historical etc. context for interested visitors. I wear roman period clothes then because this shows their function better than having them lying around and because I am then easily recognized as somebody you may approach with questions. I could do with a better grip of Latin, though ;-) ) (my son will start it at school next year, so there's light on the horizon ;-) ) )

How about the hobnails on your sandals...are they authentic as well?

Most I used so far are not. Recent ones are getting better, some quite close actually :-) )

Gee, that last paragraph sounds pretty stupid doesn't it?

I agree ;-) )

Because I can pretty much guarantee you, that even an informed passerby at one of your events who knows Roman Mil. History and gear, isn't going to be measuring your caligae strap thickness! :lol:

No, he won't have to if actually he is informed. He might remark though that your shoes are wrong ....