Roman legionary hair length

[EWAN WRS]

I was wondering about the hair length of roman legionaries, would standards of hair length have been enforced like the modern military or did legionaries just have short hair because most roman men wore it that way?

[Gallus Marinus Micarius]

I found this in Ancient European Costume and Fashion by Herbert Norris:

"During the whole period of the empire, men's hair was worn short, the maximum length of locks being from one and a half to two inches, and varying at times from almost a close crop to wavy curles. the hair was brushed or combed from the crown of the head forward onto the temples."

Fashionable men also curled and crisped thier hair with hot tongs, and general practice among men was to use oils, perfumes and dyes.

"In the early part of the 1st century A.D. , a craze started for powdering the hair with gold dust..."

[Dan Diffendale]

I'm moving this to *Roman* Military History, since it's more appropriate there...

[T. Flavius]

"In the early part of the 1st century A.D. , a craze started for powdering the hair with gold dust..."

I wonder if that applied to legionaries, or of the centurions put up with it.

[Mithras]

Very good rule of thumb: look at the emperors of the day. That defines what's acceptable. Long beards during Hadrian's day, short cropped hair and short beards in the early 3rd century. Clean shaven in the early/mid 4thC.

[Antek]

Gallus Marinus Micarius
Hmm interesting, could you give me exect page on which it was written? Perhaps I will use this phrase in my work

[Flavius Promotus]

Voila, a 3rd century haircut
(featuring Maximinus Thrax in - "From Legionary to (assassinated) Emperor" within one generation :wink: )

[Gallus Marinus Micarius]

Antek ~

The information on my above post was found on page 112 of the text Ancient European Costume and Fashion by Herbert Norris, Dover Publications. There is A LOT more information on hair styles in the book, covering many different time periods (greek, republican roman, the empire, etc. thru the middle ages). A great book and highly recommended...lots of info on tunica, female clothing, etc.

Jenny - I think legionaries that considered using gold dust in their hair would have not only been accused of being "greek" in every sense of the word, but most likely would have been given perpetual latrine duty...

Micarius

[Richomeres]

Hi,

I think this topic came up earlier already. Anyway in my opinion we should distinguish between civil and military haircut and further between different areas / people of the of the empire. Certainly a native of the near east looked different from a miles of Italic origin which in turn looked different from his Germanic counterpart.

Further there is probably a different between "regular" Roman troops and the foederati, which originally served in a unit and with leaders of the same ethnic background, using there own equipment. I remember some text discribing the triumph of some emperor, I think it was Marc Aurel returning from Dacia, were the population of Rome was appalled at the appearance of the soldiers moving into the city. The Romans considered these soldiers as barbarians.

Form my personal (modern) experience, I would wear shortish hair in service. On one hand you are sooner finished in the morning, one the other hand will want get rid of the long hair anyway out in the fields, without popper washing facilities, if you have sweat long enough and are tired of
combing the knots out of your hair.

Just my two pence.

Cheers,

Helge

[Robert Vermaat]

Form my personal (modern) experience, I would wear shortish hair in service.

No chance of recruiting YOU into the Comitatenses then, eh Helge? :wink:

[Richomeres]

Form my personal (modern) experience, I would wear shortish hair in service.

No chance of recruiting YOU into the Comitatenses then, eh Helge? :wink:

Hi Robert,

I was not really referring to re-enactment with that....

I am very happy being a barbarian mercenary always a chance to loot, mutiny is just around the corner and if your employer is a jerk you can change sides :twisted:

Cheers,

Helge

[Robert Vermaat]

I am very happy being a barbarian mercenary always a chance to loot, mutiny is just around the corner and if your employer is a jerk you can change sides :twisted:

Thought so. :twisted: Foederati rabble!

[Poftim]

Long hair also increases the chances for lice and other things living in your hair.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Trying to get this growing at the mo.... however i dont know wether i will shave my head like most of the samurai........

Why does long hair take so darn long!

M.VIB.M.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

was the dusting of gold dust not a fad kicked of by Caligula or Commodus? it seems to ring a bell from something I read!