Velites and Hastatii

[Avatar]

What gear would these have?

You see, I want to make a Roman "uniform", and light troops like this gives the opertunity to save some money, and getting the gear fairly quick. So, the question is: what gear would they have?

Thanks!

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

Something like that:

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

A helmet of the basic types, a pectoralis, some light spears, a circular shield and a sword.

[Peroni]

Hi Tim,

Have a look at the photos on these pages of my groups website..
http://www.romanarmy.net/History.htm

[Avatar]

Thanks!

[Kate Gilliver]

Tim, you can be a veles if you are young or poor enough. Then when you've killed someone and despoiled their body you can get some decent equipment and become a hastatus!

"The youngest soldiers or velites are ordered to carry a sword, javelins, and a target (parma). The target is strongly made and sufficiently large to afford protection, being circular and measuring three feet in diameter. They also wear a plain helmet, and sometimes cover it with a wolf's skin or something similar both to protect and to act as a distinguishing mark by which their officers can recognize them and judge if they fight pluckily or not. 4The wooden shaft of the javelin measures about two cubits in length and is about a finger's breadth in thickness; its head is a span long hammered out to such a fine edge that it is necessarily bent by the first impact, and the enemy is unable to return it. If this were not so, the missile would be available for both sides."
Polybius 6.22

[Susanne]

I want to be a triarus (sp?)!

[Kate Gilliver]

I want to be a triarus (sp?)!

Well that helmet will have to go for starters!

[Dan Diffendale]

I want to be a triarius!

Well that helmet will have to go for starters!

Nah, just close up the eye and nasal opening and wear it back on your head... :wink:

[Tarbicus]

I want to be a triarius!

Well that helmet will have to go for starters!

Nah, just close up the eye and nasal opening and wear it back on your head... :wink:

Try this one, it's based on historical references.

[Felix]

I want to be a triarus (sp?)!

Are you sure you are old enough to qualify? hock:

[Susanne]

I want to be a triarius!

Well that helmet will have to go for starters!

Nah, just close up the eye and nasal opening and wear it back on your head... :wink:

Try this one, it's based on historical references.

:lol:

[NeoSpartan]

I want to be a triarius!

Well that helmet will have to go for starters!

Nah, just close up the eye and nasal opening and wear it back on your head... :wink:

Try this one, it's based on historical references.

LOL!!!!!!!! :lol:

[Avatar]

Tim, you can be a veles if you are young or poor enough. Then when you've killed someone and despoiled their body you can get some decent equipment and become a hastatus

Well, 22 and poor enough to ask for advice on cheap armor?

I guess that qualifies.

But thanks for the advice!

[Sandoval]

Salvete omnes

I didn't find a better trend to ask this, so there it goes;

I do intend to reenact a veles for a Second punic war project, but so many doubts have arisen while reading.

First of all, the kind of shield they had, the parma. Reading Polybius he states it had 90 cm of diameter, which seems to be almost a greek aspis?. But although it looks huge, my question is if it had some kind of spina, as suggested in Sekunda's book from Osprey, or not, and the boss type. And about the embracement, for holding the javelins, could it be similar to the greek one of the porpax? it would differ then from the previous interpretation...

Secondly, the javelin. Sekunda's suggestion is very like to that of Connolly, found in Numantia. Fernando Quesada is doubius about it, but it could be the type?I don't find another kind of javelin.

And finally, the name itself. Veles, Rorarii, Antesignarii... too many? different?

Thank you in advance!

David P. Sandoval

L·MINICIVS·SCEPTIVS
LEGIO·VIIII·HISP