09-12-2013, 03:39 PM
Hi
The paludamentum was the traditional officers cloak.
As no Paludamentum survive or have been identified, it is impossible to be certain what size or shape it was.
In the past attempts have been made to determine the shape based on sculpture. However as the paludamentum is normally worn rolled up onto the left shoulder and draped around the body or over the left arm it is very difficult to determine the shape.
In most cases even a brooch is not visible so it would appear it was possible it stayed in place on the left shoulder by its own weight and the fact that the wearer did not, or was not, able to move very much!
The standard colour was either scarlet red or purple as we would expect for senior officers. Perhaps the fact that it was not very practical would account for why officers and even emperors are frequently seen wearing the other types of cloak. On Trajan's Column for instance Trajan himself can be seen wearing a paenula hooded cloak and a sagum with a brooch on his right shoulder.
The military sagum as mentioned in a surviving order for clothes was 2.66m long by 1.77m wide. It has been suggested that the paludamentum was the same shape and size as the sagum but had the two lower corners cut off at an angle. However as stated above there is no solid evidence for this. It should be fairly obvious that a paludamentum would be made to a much higher standard and dyed with the best quality dyes as opposed to what odinary soldiers would have access too.
Graham.
The paludamentum was the traditional officers cloak.
As no Paludamentum survive or have been identified, it is impossible to be certain what size or shape it was.
In the past attempts have been made to determine the shape based on sculpture. However as the paludamentum is normally worn rolled up onto the left shoulder and draped around the body or over the left arm it is very difficult to determine the shape.
In most cases even a brooch is not visible so it would appear it was possible it stayed in place on the left shoulder by its own weight and the fact that the wearer did not, or was not, able to move very much!
The standard colour was either scarlet red or purple as we would expect for senior officers. Perhaps the fact that it was not very practical would account for why officers and even emperors are frequently seen wearing the other types of cloak. On Trajan's Column for instance Trajan himself can be seen wearing a paenula hooded cloak and a sagum with a brooch on his right shoulder.
The military sagum as mentioned in a surviving order for clothes was 2.66m long by 1.77m wide. It has been suggested that the paludamentum was the same shape and size as the sagum but had the two lower corners cut off at an angle. However as stated above there is no solid evidence for this. It should be fairly obvious that a paludamentum would be made to a much higher standard and dyed with the best quality dyes as opposed to what odinary soldiers would have access too.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
