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Hi,
I´m making some research for a book about roman army.
I will like to know all information available about the background image in the main page of soldiers wearing oval shields and feather decorated helmets. I thing It belongs to a relief in Cumae.
Thanks in advance.
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It is indeed from Cumae.They probably represent Praetorians and are from later 1st century likely from Flavian dynasty times.Feathered helmets were normal at that time for all grades of the Roman soldiers.Some argue they have light leather armour on their torso but to me it seems too much inconclusive to know if they are right or not.Those with armour have typical head of Gorgona on their breast.It is hard to decide if they are equiped with swords or with the daggers but at this time daggers were usually worn by common soldiers at their left not on the right side like here.
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Thanks for your reply Pavel. The relief looks to be older, because of the way they tie the belts, without buckle. The four "pteriges" comes from tieing together the two belts. Also the loricas are very different from other sources.
Sorry for any misspelings. I´m not English.
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As the relief is in the "Altes Museum" in Berlin, I took the the opportunity too look at it by myself some time ago.
The surfaces of the armour is very worn but luckily you can study it at short range and see that at least on the frontal figures there is clearly scale armour depicted.
Provinience and date like Pavel said.
Andreas Gagelmann
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I'm not good in english as well so I would not probably even recognize grammatical errors from your side :wink: If their identification as Praetorians is correct than their archaic visage might be explained simply by this.It seems Praetorians(at least during 1st century and when on parades or ceremonies in Rome)retained some older parts of military equipment from Republican times longer than normal Roman soldiers.
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Hi Decebalus
Do you mean, the scales are in the ones that look to be officers, or in all of them? I will like to find a good picture of this relief!
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Fantastic detail - thanks! I can't make out the scales, I'm afraid, but I'll take your word for it. Those 'doughnut' helmet crests are interesting - like the ones on Trajan's Column...
Nathan Ross
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Some further information about the relief (in German) can be found
here
Interesting to note that in the description the leading figure has a sword with eagle hilt.
Andreas Gagelmann
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Very interesting information. Thanks a lot Decebalus
