Hadrian Wall Garrison 4th Century AD (Around 360 AD)

[Artist]

Hello All! I am trying to construct a 3D model (as accurate as possible) of an auxiliary soldier stationed in England around the year 360AD.

To begin with I have a few questions,

Many sources indicate soldiers wore white tunics with decorations for everyday life duty, and red tunics during battle. Is the information reliable? Did military tunics come with decorations? or was it something a soldier would add on his own?

I am using this image as a reference, Osprey series: Pictish Warrior



how accurate is the image compare to a real roman soldier might of looked like?

Your help will be greatly appreciated, thank you for your time.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Good to see the boys visited Depeeka before the let those picts butcher them! hock:

the late tunics had decorations on them so from what I have seen they look ok! The more expert people on here will know just how accurate they are though!

[Publius Militiares]

But why do this late roman guys fight on the pictish side of the wall with closed gates behind them? hock:

[caiusbeerquitius]

They lost a bet and have to behave extra foolish, and now are being made fun of. They even have to move away their shields when attacked. See all the Romans on the wall cheering? The Roman right in front has nothing to do with all the fuss, he´s just visiting his chiropractor.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

or possibly were returning from a patrol, and were caught on the wrong side of the wall in a raid.......

[Robert Vermaat]

Yeah, and that naked Pict also lost a bet - he had to re-enact an Iron Age Celt of 300 BC! :twisted:

Seriously though, the only thing I can't say much about are the shiel;ds (because they don't show). Otherwise, the helmets look bad, the tunics are wrong, as are the swords, scabbards and baldrics, and the bows.

And can anybody enlighten me as to why the Romans have all those torches on top of the wall when it's still daytime?

BTW, mr Artist, please add your real name to your signature. it's a forum rule.

[Artist]

Yeah, and that naked Pict also lost a bet - he had to re-enact an Iron Age Celt of 300 BC! :twisted:

Seriously though, the only thing I can't say much about are the shiel;ds (because they don't show). Otherwise, the helmets look bad, the tunics are wrong, as are the swords, scabbards and baldrics, and the bows.

And can anybody enlighten me as to why the Romans have all those torches on top of the wall when it's still daytime?

BTW, mr Artist, please add your real name to your signature. it's a forum rule.

Its not day time, its the aura of the fires. The way I see it the artist was trying to show how picts would act in action by putting all these romans outside of the wall, or a small party of romans simply rushed at them not realizing they would be outnumbered.

Vortigern can you please comment why are the helmets incorrect? what type of a helmet should it be? same with the tunic, and the scabbard

[Robert Vermaat]

Vortigern can you please comment why are the helmets incorrect? what type of a helmet should it be? same with the tunic, and the scabbard

Helmets: Intercisa helmets but extremely simplified here, with wrong neck plates.
Shield: not all Late Roman troops in Britain were members of the Secunda Britones!
Swords: to big cross-guard, no long spatha blades.
Baldrics: too wide, look like 3rd c. types.
Scabbards: the artist looked at a Deepeeka one, probably.
Trousers: I did not comment on that earlier, but they wear baggy trousers instead of close-fitting ones.
Tunics: Wide sleeves - half-sleeved?? With a long-sleeved tunic underneath? Looks like a Viking! The decoraction pattern is also non-Roman, with odd shapes and horizontal stripes across the arm.

And the Late Roman army did not wear uniforms with all the men similarly dressed! that's a modernism that we can't seem to get rid off - sure guv'nor, they were all soldiers, right? So they all wear the same sweater, right? I blame Asterix. :twisted:

[aitor iriarte]

Well said, Robert! 8)
We could go in more detail if you are patient and interested on the subject, Igyr. We've got most of the available information (sometimes scarce, sometimes, more definite) but nobody started knowing everything.
And now a group of hardened Late Roman soldiers as a starter :wink:



Aitor

[Robert Vermaat]

I like this one better:

[L C Cinna]

Trousers: I did not comment on that earlier, but they wear baggy trousers instead of close-fitting ones.
Tunics: Wide sleeves - half-sleeved?? With a long-sleeved tunic underneath? Looks like a Viking! The decoraction pattern is also non-Roman, with odd shapes and horizontal stripes across the arm.

maybe they were into some kind of ancient grunge music? 4th century generation X ?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Hmmm Robert.... I see one of the boyos in your pic has baggy trousers!
And 2 with none at all! hock: hock:
:lol: :lol: :lol:

nice pics though, and as I am not an expert I will say no more! :roll:

Regards

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

But why do this late roman guys fight on the pictish side of the wall with closed gates behind them?

In the Bello Gallico CAESAR writes about legionaries who slept on duty, and who were punished not by fustuarium, but by being forced to sleep outside the walls of the castellvm for one night, prone to attack of barbarians......

so......... they also fell asleep on duty.......

M.VIB.M.

[Robert Vermaat]

Hmmm Robert.... I see one of the boyos in your pic has baggy trousers! And 2 with none at all!

Well his aren't as bad as those in the drawing. The lower part is tighter. But you are right, they should be really close-fitting!


Mine are far worse:


Not at all is also possible.

[aitor iriarte]

Well, baggy or not so baggy, I've reconstructed my trousers upon museum patterns of the Damendorf ones and they are not exactly tight-fitting

About going without trousers, it was very common, as iconographical sources show.


Aitor