06-12-2002, 02:08 AM
Hello all,<br>
<br>
I'm interested in the collective knowledge of everyone here regarding a big a "head scratcher" in Roman History that I ran into....<br>
<br>
From childhood onward I've always been interested in History and have seen many forts and suits of armor and castles in Europe, North America etc etc. Pretty much everywhere I went the tour guide told us that the reason that the doorways were so low, the beds so short, the medieval armor so small, was because people back then were just much shorter than we are today.(made sense at the time)<br>
<br>
If logic dictates we would assume then the further back in history we go the smaller things/people should have been. Then I'm glancing through a Peter Connolly book on the Roman Legionnaire and how the minimum requirements to join were being 5' 10"!!! Now that in my opinion is not that short! huh??<br>
<br>
If this is true and not a typo and everyone was even shorter in Ancient times(than in the medieval times) than the height restrictions would have eliminated many many people from joining, which doesn't suit Roman recruitment style IMO.<br>
<br>
So this goes out to everyone who's seem Roman architecture, helmets etc etc. Is this stuff small? or what the heck went on in the middle ages??<br>
<br>
<br>
cheers<br>
Markus<br>
<br>
P.S My theory is two fold. Either Peter Connolly(a reputable Roman enthusiest) is wrong, or there is some difference between races. IE. perhaps the Romans were a taller people than all the Europeans who later built castles and forts etc......<br>
<br>
P.P.S Or perhaps diet and nutrition lacked in the dark/medieval days as opposed to the more prosperous Antiquity? <p></p><i></i>
<br>
I'm interested in the collective knowledge of everyone here regarding a big a "head scratcher" in Roman History that I ran into....<br>
<br>
From childhood onward I've always been interested in History and have seen many forts and suits of armor and castles in Europe, North America etc etc. Pretty much everywhere I went the tour guide told us that the reason that the doorways were so low, the beds so short, the medieval armor so small, was because people back then were just much shorter than we are today.(made sense at the time)<br>
<br>
If logic dictates we would assume then the further back in history we go the smaller things/people should have been. Then I'm glancing through a Peter Connolly book on the Roman Legionnaire and how the minimum requirements to join were being 5' 10"!!! Now that in my opinion is not that short! huh??<br>
<br>
If this is true and not a typo and everyone was even shorter in Ancient times(than in the medieval times) than the height restrictions would have eliminated many many people from joining, which doesn't suit Roman recruitment style IMO.<br>
<br>
So this goes out to everyone who's seem Roman architecture, helmets etc etc. Is this stuff small? or what the heck went on in the middle ages??<br>
<br>
<br>
cheers<br>
Markus<br>
<br>
P.S My theory is two fold. Either Peter Connolly(a reputable Roman enthusiest) is wrong, or there is some difference between races. IE. perhaps the Romans were a taller people than all the Europeans who later built castles and forts etc......<br>
<br>
P.P.S Or perhaps diet and nutrition lacked in the dark/medieval days as opposed to the more prosperous Antiquity? <p></p><i></i>
