Roman Navy & hobnails

[Semisalis Abruna]

I'm getting together kit for a late 3rd century Classis Britannica impression.

Does anyone have any idea if Roman sailors/marines had hobnails on their boots?

I ask this because I re-enact the British Royal Navy 1879-1919 & the RN & Royal Marines did not wear hobnailed boots (unlike the army) as they do severe damage to wooden decks.

[Titvs Statilivs Castvs]

No they hadn't, since they didn't need as much grip (do you say this in English?) as the normal infantry on land. And they would slip away on the wooden decks. Imagine. :lol:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Probably went barefoot, but for combat, I would go for the nails myself.....

[Vitruvius]

Ave Semisalis,
Having been in the U.S. Navy may or may not make me an expert, but sailing a boat with a wooden deck for fun has given me a chance to experiment. Practically speaking, ( and as we know, romans were nothing if not practical) the effect of hobnails on a wooden deck are akin to Julius's centurion running across the stone floor and sliding across it. When the deck is dry, there seems to be little or no problem, BUT, unless you are on a "dry" boat, that deck gets wet and stays wet!!!!!!!!! When ever possible, go barefoot. Hope this helps some. Let me know how your group works out. If you decide to have associate members, P.M. me as I would like to join.
Salve,
Larry Mager a.k.a Vitruvius

[PhilusEstilius]

I am trying to remember where I read about how the Emperor Tiberius was not to popular for his comments that sailors should not be issued with boots as they did not need them. I'm not so sure however as to the 3rd century, but I do think that there is evidence that deductions for Caliga was indeed a lot of money for troopers. I think with the amount of marching these guys did they must have kicked a pair off their feet every 6 months or so hence the great expence.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thought I had posted this last night but here goes again.

Just a thought, but I can imagine slipping on a wooden deck in say, the blunted hobnails found in archaological sites, or if using Le Prevo hobnails, but surely the sharpened type would grip on wood quite well?]Probably have you thrown overboard by the master for chewing up his decks, but still, I am struggling to see you slipping in the same way as on a marble floor. :?

[M. Demetrius]

Dry wood might be ok for smooth soled shoes, but wet wood would not. I think you're right about the sharp hobnails gripping on the deck, and about their chewing it up. That would make things a lot worse for the barefoot crewmen. Nothing like a foot full of hobnail-induced splinters to interfere with the crew/marine relations, don't you think?

[Matthew Amt]

The contingent of sailors based at Ostia (?) with the duty of erecting the sunshade over the Colosseum complained to Vespasian that they were wearing out too many nails with the frequent marching back and forth. They wanted an extra allowance of "nail money" in their pay to compensate. Vespasian, frugal bugger that he was, simply ordered them to march barefoot from then on.

Conclusion: Sailors HAD hobnailed shoes. That does NOT mean they wore them on shipboard all the time.

Is there any detail visible in that late Roman hunt mosaic, showing all the sailors and soldiers rounding up animals? Been a while since I've seen it, don't even remember what it's called... Again, even if you can see a (probable) sailor wearing nailed shoes in that scene, it doesn't mean they wore them regularly on board.

Valete,

Matthew

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I would imagine it would be dependent on duties.
A marine, i.e. a fighting soldier who was required to board another vessel, would I think. But just for sailing about, possibly not, simply for the possibilities mentioned above. Wasn't there a find on a ship of boots with leather studs or something on the bottom? I recall Jim talking about them in another thread once.

[jvrjenivs]

Okay, here some experience I know from the Themepark Archeon in the Netherlands, where they had a (cargo)ship rebuilt many years ago, compared with finds of ships in Woerden and Zwammerdam.

When they fount leather and nails at the end of the ship, they didn't know why they were always on that end. When my centurio, being one of the people who had done a lot of tours around the (old) park in that boat, saw this he simple said: that's logical. When I enter the boat, I'll take of my shoes and always put them there.

This is a bit of experimental findings combined with findings wich suggest they went bar-footed on the ships.

[Semisalis Abruna]

I'll happily go along with the consensus - barefoot aboard ship & hobnailed boots ashore.

Thanks for your input & I'll post photos when I have finished the kit

[Martin Moser]

FWIW, on a cargo ship found at Woerden and datedto the 2nd/3rd cent. there were nailed shoes, among them a pair of soleae (i.e. sandals) with a trident pattern. It is not clear whether the ship was civilian or military.

Lit.: Driel-Murray, C. van und Jan K. Haalebos: Ein römisches Getreideschiff in Woerden (NL). in: Jahrbuch des römisch-germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 43/1996. 490-496.