Sagum Mania!

[tlclark]

Incidentally, I disagree with Aitor on this point. I don't think the cloak is an oval folded over, but a semi-circular shape. This eventually is simplified to a trapezoid. This approximates the semi-circular shape but is far easier and simpler to do.

I don't know, I think I have to side with Aitor on this one. The artistic representations do seem to suggest that the tabliones were a single design, folded in half. Not to mention the actual blueprint found in Egypt which clearly shows an oval shape with two centrally placed tabliones (pg. 11 Sumner's RMC 2).

Looking at Aitor's examples above from the Missorium of Theodosius I can't decide if we are looking at the incidentally folded edge of a cloak or a folded oval. The real evidence would be looking at the other edge to see if we have a double edge. Aitor sees that on the Constantius image, but I disagree. This edge is no different than the edge of the person's tunic. So is this a double edge? or a hem?

Again, it's ambiguous.

In the byzantine material it seems less ambiguous to me.

It's possible we have a folded doubled cloak in the 4thC. but that by the sixth century we have the simplified trapezoidal cloak.

Travis