04-03-2008, 12:55 AM
I agree with everything you've said.
None of those soldiers in the field, in combat, would pass any kind of inspection, or walk into town looking that way... they are indeed extreme examples.
Cohors Quinta Gallorum in the UK have treated clothes the ancient way, washing in cold streams, smacking tunics on rocks to really get off the grime. It took a lot of punishment to get stains and dirt off of tunics that had been used to dig ditches and carry out manual labour. They could never get tunics really clean, and they soon went off-colour, and fraying was endemic.
Its against the background of those experiments that I'm making my assertions (no, more like speculations!).
None of those soldiers in the field, in combat, would pass any kind of inspection, or walk into town looking that way... they are indeed extreme examples.
Cohors Quinta Gallorum in the UK have treated clothes the ancient way, washing in cold streams, smacking tunics on rocks to really get off the grime. It took a lot of punishment to get stains and dirt off of tunics that had been used to dig ditches and carry out manual labour. They could never get tunics really clean, and they soon went off-colour, and fraying was endemic.
Its against the background of those experiments that I'm making my assertions (no, more like speculations!).
~ Paul Elliott
The Last Legionary
This book details the lives of Late Roman legionaries garrisoned in Britain in 400AD. It covers everything from battle to rations, camp duties to clothing.
The Last Legionary
This book details the lives of Late Roman legionaries garrisoned in Britain in 400AD. It covers everything from battle to rations, camp duties to clothing.
