Help with legatus legionis impression

[Lucius Poblius]

Could anyone provide me with some information on what a legatus would wear when on a campaign, or point me to a source with some information?

I've seen a number of statues where they're wearing muscle cuirass, would this be accurate or is this simply propaganda? Would they wear a tunica with purple clavii or something different? Cacei?

I'm guessing a very elaborate sword and shield?

Many thanks!

[Marcus Mummius]

Hi Lee,

All we have to go on for such an impression is propaganda. :wink:

For my tribunus laticlavuus impression (I'm not old enough to be a legate) I'm going with a brass musculata with some decoration on it. A pair of decorated ocrae too, but there is no evidence for this in art. Our future legate is having a brass muscle cuirras made too.

Probably a nice decorated mainz scabbard as a sword. An ivory handle would look good on it.

Helmet is also extremely difficult to decide for this impression IMO.

Vale,
Jef

[AntonivsMarivsCongianocvs]

Ave,

I’ve seen many examples in statues of plumatas & Squamatas being worn by officers, along with the Cuirass. Those are of course examples in art [i](aka “propagandaâ€

[Lucius Poblius]

Thanks for the information guys!

I think I'll start looking at the possibility of getting a custom muscle cuirass made for our legate. All the ones I've seen for sale are a bit too simplistic (plain bronze).

I'm thinking of something along the lines of a statue of Germanicus that I've seen, although I'm sure it will cost an arm and a leg!!

Does anyone know of a place which does a decent parazonium? Or will that need to be a custom job?

[Marcus Mummius]

Nope, no decent parazonium is available. You'll have to make one yourself, or have one custom made.

Such a custom made cuirass will set you back a couple of thousand euro's. But a custom made metal (armed and armoured) legate kit is horribly expensive. That's one of the reasons why you see so much leather in those impressions I think.

[Gaius]

From what period is intended to be your legatus impression?

[Marcus Mummius]

From what period is intended to be your legatus impression?

They are doing Augustean period, so Germanicus would be a bit too late to imitate. Better take an earlier one like Drusus IMO.

[Gaius]

And what about the helmet? The fact is, this kind of attic-style showed off by the praetorians statues for example, we have no evidence of it more than the artistic depictions...Do you think that Hellenistic-like helmets like the Italo-Corinthian or the Samnite-type attic were still around for higher rank officers in Augustus times?

[Marcus Mummius]

And what about the helmet? The fact is, this kind of attic-style showed off by the praetorians statues for example, we have no evidence of it more than the artistic depictions...Do you think that Hellenistic-like helmets like the Italo-Corinthian or the Samnite-type attic were still around for higher rank officers in Augustus times?

The 1st century Autun helmet (you can do a search to find relevant threads with pictures) is a form of a very elaborate Apulo-Corinthian helmet. As far as I know this is the only Apulo-Corinthian type helmet that is found in a 1st century context. Awsome helmet IMO but to a lot of people's modern tastes it looks dreadfull

Whatever gear you choose for this impression, you'll have to prepare to face a lot of critique :wink: . Better to do as much research as possible and don't rush any decisions.

I'm going for two kind of tribune impressions, a parade dress with classical hellenistic inspired equipment and a more mundane battlefield impressions.

Vale,

[SOCL]

Maybe this is of help? A photo of our senior officers at Castra Romana, Pompeii in Mobile, Alabama this past February. From left to right, our legate, our primus pilus, and our tribune.

[Lucius Poblius]

They are doing Augustean period, so Germanicus would be a bit too late to imitate. Better take an earlier one like Drusus IMO.

Actually it's late Augustean and Tiberian we're doing so Germanicus fits in there quite nicely.

Thanks for the photo Saul, they all look very good impressions!

[Marcus Mummius]

They are doing Augustean period, so Germanicus would be a bit too late to imitate. Better take an earlier one like Drusus IMO.

Actually it's late Augustean and Tiberian we're doing so Germanicus fits in there quite nicely.

Or you could do an impression of Varrus, after his kit had been looted. Nice and cheap. Would be good for kalkriese.

[tlclark]

Such a custom made cuirass will set you back a couple of thousand euro's. But a custom made metal (armed and armoured) legate kit is horribly expensive. That's one of the reasons why you see so much leather in those impressions I think.

http://astro.temple.edu/~tlclark/lorica ... eather.htm

:roll:

[Marcus Mummius]

Such a custom made cuirass will set you back a couple of thousand euro's. But a custom made metal (armed and armoured) legate kit is horribly expensive. That's one of the reasons why you see so much leather in those impressions I think.

http://astro.temple.edu/~tlclark/lorica ... eather.htm

:roll:

Errrm, what are trying to say, Travis?

Is anything in the statement I made incorrect? I agree that we do not know if these musculata's existed and if they were metal or leather.

All I say is that a cuirass made from metal is more expensive to have made than a leather one.

I suspect that some people choose to wear a leather cuirrass, not because they really believe they existed. Cuirasses made from both materials are hypothetical. Having a metal cuirass made is probably the more expensive hypothetical option.

If the rolling eyes were meant about legates running around in a cuirass with decoration that appears to be specificaly linked to a certain emperor, then I agree

vale,

[Lucius Poblius]

If the rolling eyes were meant about legates running around in a cuirass with decoration that appears to be specificaly linked to a certain emperor, then I agree

vale,

Which emperor would you be refering to there?

And how are scenes and symbols from mythology specifically linked to one person?