VEMBRACES

[Nathan Ross]

So where did they come from, then?

It's an interesting question. A quick look back at the development of popular perceptions of Roman soldiers in art and cinema might hold a clue.

Back in 1867, Alma-Tadema's Praetorians need no wrist adornment:



Bracelets start appearing in the films of the 1920s - here's Ben Hur from 1925:



But the man is an officer, and the bracelets are gold, intended to show his rank.

Bracer-mania really gets going in the 50s, but even then it's only officer-types who wear them - the regular troops are still bare-wristed. Here's Quo Vadis, 1952 version:

[img size=624 x 491]http://image.toutlecine.com/photos/q/u/o/quo-vadis-1951-11-g.jpg[/img]

...but bracers - the chunkier the better - show that a man is an officer. In this case a tribune:

[img size=426 x 569]http://www.moviemail-online.co.uk/images/large/Quo-vadis-21070_7.jpg[/img]

The fashions soon spread to the lower ranks, and by 1964 (The Fall of the Roman Empire), everybody was wearing them:



Nowadays, they're pretty much essential, although the fancier ones still seem to say 'officer':



...and in colder climates they can feature all sorts of added extras:

[img size=680 x 451]http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/images/Centurion2.jpg[/img]

:wink: