Civilian luggage

[Carlton Bach]

In a world without pockets and with very few belt pouches (at least that seems to be common opinion), bags must have been a lot more common than surviving images suggest. Now, I know about the En Gedi bags, but there is another kind of tote that shows up in Roman art - it's square and carried on something like a strap. I'm trying to figure it out and would appreciate any input you can provide.

This picture



was my starting point. It's a mosaic from Pompeii and I think it is safe to say that this is a bag. From the colour I would assume it's made of leather, and it is remarkably square for something hanging from a stick.

The same kind of squareness is also seen in this picture from the Vergilius Romanus manuscript:



and it looks to me like there is some kind of stiffening along the top.

Finally, there is a legionary gravestone from the Rhineland that has a slave carrying his master's baggage - in a square bag.



it's kind of difficult to make out because of the awkward angle, but it looks like a shopping bag to me - and again, very square.

My reading of this is square leather bags, probably with some kind of stiffening, and carried on straps. The problem I have is that the bags here appear to have only one strap (and the Vergilius Romanus one seems to be going from the front to the back). I would have expected two. Do you know of any other depictions that might help, or any suggestions? I'm, fairly sure these are not loculus-analogues given how thin and soft the material seems to be.

Thanks

[Florentius]

Ave,
This is off a greek vase, I found it in a magazine. I belive it is some sort of loculus, though it would seem to predate the Romans. It's even got the little handle and cross straps. This is clearly not a military man, so maybe the loculus was more universaly used. Thank you for bringing those other bag representations to my attention. I've been curious about the state of Roman baggage myself.

Florentius

[Viventius]

There is a slave girl with a shoulder bag at Piazza Armerina:

http://www.lorenzopaolino.it/Foto%20gita/31.jpg

This was the best online image I could find of this section of the mosaics.

[Robert Vermaat]

[Carlton Bach]

Ave,
This is off a greek vase, I found it in a magazine. I belive it is some sort of loculus, though it would seem to predate the Romans. It's even got the little handle and cross straps. This is clearly not a military man, so maybe the loculus was more universaly used. Thank you for bringing those other bag representations to my attention. I've been curious about the state of Roman baggage myself.

I think that's the basis on which a baggage carrier for a Greek mercenary is reconstructed in Osprey 'The Ancient Greeks'. Do you think the bag is stiffened? The cross seams kind of suggest not.

If you are interested in luggage, have you looked at the En Gedi finds? Some very nice leather bags there, though nothing that looks remotely like these.

[Tarbicus]

Disney are auctioning a bunch of props (including some 'interesting' scuta) on Ebay. One is a bag which actually looks pretty good, and quite similar to the Pompeii mosaic.
[url:u20tpzdq]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=60360&item=7528707222[/url]



Go to the Seller's Other Items and search for "Arthur" - they're from King Arthur.

Cheers.