07-27-2012, 10:45 PM
Hi all,
Basically the question is in the title of this topic already. What type of armour/helmets and which appearance would set an elite/palatine/comitatus status unit apart from an “ordinary” limitanei/comitatenses status unit according to you? Or are the different variations in armour and appearance dependent on the location of where a unit was stationed?
It’s very difficult to make up a reasonable picture for myself because I feel that I’m influenced by both pictures of artists and by pictures of reenactment. But on the other hand I’m getting confused when I look at frescos, reliefs and other archeological evidence that seem to show something (sometimes totally) different.
Take for example the really nice painting of the battle of Strasbourg. (http://cdn.ancient-warfare.com/templates...d_awnw.jpg) It shows a Legio Palatina unit in a shield wall formation, but they don’t really look very elite to me. They wear pretty simple Berkasovo and Intercisa style helmets and body armour and I notice only one Roman wearing a lorica squamata in the back. The whole picture doesn’t really show anything elite and it looks like as if they’re just basic heavy infantry.
Now the arch of Galerius shows troops that appear to be the elite troops of the Joviani and the Herculiani in scale armour and spangenhelmets (I know that this vision is disputable), but in reenactment I’ve never seen anyone wear similar scale armour. And then again, is scale armour something that is to be considered fitting for an elite soldier or not?
Anyway, what better place to ask this question than on the RAT forums?
On a side note, since I’m working on a late Roman modification myself surrounding the fall of the Tetrarchy and beyond, I’ve created some armour sets and helmets in 3D as well. This is what cast a considerable amount of doubt as to which armour set and appearance would be considered basic and what would be considered elite. Some pictures can be found here:
Armour sets:
[spoiler]![[Image: wip110340.jpg]](http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5205/wip110340.jpg)
[/spoiler]
Helmets:
[spoiler]![[Image: 15691431.jpg]](http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3919/15691431.jpg)
[/spoiler]
I’m well aware that there probably isn’t a definite answer and that it mostly comes down to opinions. But I think that that shouldn’t stop us from having this interesting discussion and (hopefully) an exchange of ideas and visions.
Btw, I was in doubt whether this topic belonged to reconstruction&reenactment or here. If this isn't the right place could someone move it to the right subforum. Thanks.
Basically the question is in the title of this topic already. What type of armour/helmets and which appearance would set an elite/palatine/comitatus status unit apart from an “ordinary” limitanei/comitatenses status unit according to you? Or are the different variations in armour and appearance dependent on the location of where a unit was stationed?
It’s very difficult to make up a reasonable picture for myself because I feel that I’m influenced by both pictures of artists and by pictures of reenactment. But on the other hand I’m getting confused when I look at frescos, reliefs and other archeological evidence that seem to show something (sometimes totally) different.
Take for example the really nice painting of the battle of Strasbourg. (http://cdn.ancient-warfare.com/templates...d_awnw.jpg) It shows a Legio Palatina unit in a shield wall formation, but they don’t really look very elite to me. They wear pretty simple Berkasovo and Intercisa style helmets and body armour and I notice only one Roman wearing a lorica squamata in the back. The whole picture doesn’t really show anything elite and it looks like as if they’re just basic heavy infantry.
Now the arch of Galerius shows troops that appear to be the elite troops of the Joviani and the Herculiani in scale armour and spangenhelmets (I know that this vision is disputable), but in reenactment I’ve never seen anyone wear similar scale armour. And then again, is scale armour something that is to be considered fitting for an elite soldier or not?
Anyway, what better place to ask this question than on the RAT forums?
On a side note, since I’m working on a late Roman modification myself surrounding the fall of the Tetrarchy and beyond, I’ve created some armour sets and helmets in 3D as well. This is what cast a considerable amount of doubt as to which armour set and appearance would be considered basic and what would be considered elite. Some pictures can be found here:
Armour sets:
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Helmets:
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]I’m well aware that there probably isn’t a definite answer and that it mostly comes down to opinions. But I think that that shouldn’t stop us from having this interesting discussion and (hopefully) an exchange of ideas and visions.
Btw, I was in doubt whether this topic belonged to reconstruction&reenactment or here. If this isn't the right place could someone move it to the right subforum. Thanks.
Thijs Koelewijn
