What the Soldiers Wore on Hadrian\'s Wall

[mcbishop]

It always seemed a slightly odd title for a book, although it was difficult to pin down quite why. Nevertheless, there is now a small appreciation of it on the Per Lineam Valli blog.

Mike Bishop

[Quintius Clavus]

I have both of the books whose covers are shown in the blog and have had them since they were newly published. I also have several others illustrated by Ron Embleton and a collection of short fiction stories titled The Universal Soldier, in which H. Russell Robinson contributed the one on the Roman legionary.

[Vincula]

my favorite blog mentioned it before: http://antoninuspius.blogspot.com/

[mcbishop]

my favorite blog mentioned it before: http://antoninuspius.blogspot.com/

Curiously, I had forgotten that (I even posted a comment on the page :oops but then his audience is not necessarily my audience and is squarely aimed at a more informed readership than mine is. He does latch on to one of my bugbears, however, which is if a thing is deemed to be outdated it is somehow no longer of value. You see this manifested on Wikipedia where older research is often ignored in favour of the most recent; a balanced view looks at the development of thought, not just the current trend, and in this way Robinson's work (on whatever subject) remains pivotal and cannot be ignored.

Mike Bishop

[John Conyard]

Frank Graham certainly did publish some well loved books and lived a very full life.
http://unrepentantcommunist.blogspot.com...raham.html

"What the Soldiers Wore on Hadrian’s Wall" was one of my first "Roman books" when I started wargaming at school back in the late 1970's. It cost £1 but was worth every penny.

[Graham Sumner]

All of the Embleton Frank Graham Roman booklets were 'must buys' on every visit to Hadrian's Wall in the 1980's. Most of the material then appeared in a single volume which is still readily available.

Mike Bishop wrote:
He does latch on to one of my bugbears, however, which is if a thing is deemed to be outdated it is somehow no longer of value.


An example being 'The Roman Soldier,' by Amedee Forestier in 1928. His method of carrying a marching pack is much more in keeping with recent research than Embleton or even Peter Connolly.

Graham.

[mcbishop]

An example being 'The Roman Soldier,' by Amedee Forestier in 1928. His method of carrying a marching pack is much more in keeping with recent research than Embleton or even Peter Connolly.

My old school library had a copy of this and, coincidentally, since they are out of copyright, I am in the process of scanning the plates at the moment to put up on Flickr. That image with the marching pack has always stuck with me.

Mike Bishop

[D B Campbell]

It cost £1 but was worth every penny.

My second edition (1979) has a £1.50 sticker over the £1 price-tag. That's inflation! hock:

(Looking forward to seeing Forestier.)

[Vindex]

It cost £1 but was worth every penny.

My second edition (1979) has a £1.50 sticker over the £1 price-tag. That's inflation! hock:

(Looking forward to seeing Forestier.)

LOL - so has mine - never thought of it before.

[mcbishop]

(Looking forward to seeing Forestier.)

You shall have your wish, Cinders: here.

Mike Bishop

[Vindex]

Like the Hamian archer very much; the black and white illustration after all the cloured plates gives an impression of the bleakness of the Wall!

Some of the expressions on faces are to die for...

Thank you very much for posting this. I've not seen it before.

[PhilusEstilius]

I have to say I like the picture showing a general looking out over the wall, what is of interest is where there is mention of the wall having crenellations which I think it must have had.

[Vindex]

I have to say I like the picture showing a general looking out over the wall, what is of interest is where there is mention of the wall having crenellations which I think it must have had.

I tend to agree with you Brian (and no doubt open a can of worms off topic!!) but although there is no archaeological evidence for it as far as I am aware (except perhaps the Rudge Cup) logically what would it have? Waist height allows use of spears and arrows and visibility but offers no protection. Head height gives protection but doesn't allow visibility and the use of weapons. A combination of the two is, as they say, a no brainer (in my book).

[mcbishop]

although there is no archaeological evidence for it as far as I am aware (except perhaps the Rudge Cup) logically what would it have?

There is actually some pretty good archaeological evidence in the form of large numbers of string course blocks, comparable to those still in situ on the fortress walls at Chester near the north gate, marking the level of the walkway (and base of the parapet). South Shields (although not on the Wall it is a handy parallel) has produced both SCBs and merlon caps. The infilling of demolished turret recesses (as at T41a) doesn't make much sense unless they carry a walkway over the top and a walkway needs a parapet (like the one still standing at Dura). I don't think Forestier was going out on much of a limb by including it ;-)

Mike Bishop

[D B Campbell]

... doesn't make much sense unless they carry a walkway over the top and a walkway needs a parapet ...

But (he asks, in his Devil's Advocate voice) does it need a crenellated parapet? :wink:

Personally, I'm all in favour of crenellations -- they make for more exciting wall defence! -- but (if memory serves) Brian Dobson has argued for a simple (uncrenellated) parapet along the wall.