|
|
Post by felixs on Jan 26, 2021 8:44:33 GMT
Hello everyone,
this might seem a very stupid question:
What colour should I paint the helmets for Marian Romans?
Mine are painted steel. But nearly everyone else seems to do them in bronze. A quick search on the topic is inconclusive, wargamers have done both, with most opting for bronze. I assume that this might be as much an aesthetic choice as anything else.
I am currently re-basing and touching-up my Romans, so this would be a good time to change the helmets to bronze, if that is historically accurate.
Can anyone enlighten me?
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Post by martin on Jan 26, 2021 19:26:04 GMT
Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome states, in a note about first figure, late Republic Legionarius, ...’ wears a bronze Montefortino helmet’. Next figure is Augustan period, also bronze. Next figure is early 1st century AD, and now states ‘an iron helmet’.
Your Marians should be in bronze helmets, it would seem.
Auxilia are mentioned as wearing bronze helmets well into 2nd C. AD., by the way.
|
|
|
|
Post by felixs on Jan 26, 2021 20:41:32 GMT
Thank you. Phil Barker also mentions "bronze helmets" in the DBA army list description for Marian Roman. Bronze helmets are very common in wargames publications. I assume they are also more common in museums, since bronze is easier preserved in most climates. Looking at what wargame-oriented miniature painters do with their Marian Roman helmets, most seem to choose bronze. Few opt for iron/steel, fewer opt for a mix.
However, I also found the following, which I would like to share: P. Cagniart: "The Late Republican Army (146-30 BC)" in Erdkamp, "A Companion to the Roman Army".Malden etc.: Blackwell, 2007: p. 89 gives: "The most common form of helmet was in the shape of a bowl with cheek pieces and neck protection (the Montefortino type). Helmets were made of iron or bronze. The helmet offered the best protection while leaving the soldier with unobstructed vision and hearing, this lack of obstruction being vital since the manipular or cohortal formation depended upon orders that had to be seen (signa of the units) or to be heard (cornu or trumpet). On the top of the helmet was a device intended to hold horsehair or a hole intended to hold feathers. This caused the soldier to look taller and thus more impressive." Apparently, both is accurate. But Cagniart gives no figures as to likely ratios or whether bronze and steel might be mixed in the same unit etc. |
|
|
|
Post by snowcat on Jan 26, 2021 22:21:45 GMT
Real men wear bronze.
|
|
|
|
Post by stevie on Jan 26, 2021 22:40:56 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by snowcat on Jan 27, 2021 4:20:14 GMT
Indeed.
And let's not forget....
But back on topic...I'd go all bronze (even if some wore iron) and make them look just that bit earlier than an Imperial Roman legionary.
Cheers |
|
|
|
Post by felixs on Jan 27, 2021 6:49:33 GMT
I'd go all bronze (even if some wore iron) and make them look just that bit earlier than an Imperial Roman legionary.
That is a good point.
And mixed looks too unorderly for my taste.
Plus it reminds me, I need to build an Imperial Roman army too..
|
|
|
|
Post by Cromwell on Jan 27, 2021 9:29:53 GMT
Auxilia are mentioned as wearing bronze helmets well into 2nd C. AD., by the way. So should the Auxiliary cohorts in my Early Imperial Roman army be wearing Bronze helmets? Mine are currently wearing steel. |
|
|
|
Post by stevie on Jan 27, 2021 10:51:30 GMT
I find that having Imperial Legionaries with iron/steel helmets and
Imperial Auxilia with bronze helmets is a good way of telling them
apart, since both have 4 figures per base in a ‘regular’ formation.
(All my heavy infantry are on bases that are ½ a BW deep...
...as I hate it when a figure or their weapon extends over a base
edge preventing flush frontal contact or neat column formations)
|
|
|
|
Post by martin on Jan 27, 2021 10:53:53 GMT
Auxilia are mentioned as wearing bronze helmets well into 2nd C. AD., by the way. So should the Auxiliary cohorts in my Early Imperial Roman army be wearing Bronze helmets? Mine are currently wearing steel. Yes, According to AEIR, which is a pretty good source. Mine were steel, repainted bronze....and then sold 😶 |
|
|
|
Post by martin on Jan 27, 2021 10:56:12 GMT
...and they don’t each quiche, but only egg and bacon flan (was the story in the early 80’s) 🙂 |
|
|
|
Post by snowcat on Jan 27, 2021 11:06:03 GMT
Auxilia are mentioned as wearing bronze helmets well into 2nd C. AD., by the way. So should the Auxiliary cohorts in my Early Imperial Roman army be wearing Bronze helmets? Mine are currently wearing steel. Yes, typically bronze for this period, especially the simpler auxiliary helmets, but also often bronze and iron combined.
If they're wearing legionary helmets, they're usually predominantly iron with bronze elements.
|
|
|
|
Post by martin on Jan 27, 2021 16:34:05 GMT
Asked on the Society of Ancients forum -
Duncan Head replied with:
“ Late Republican helmets were mostly bronze Montefortino and Coolus types, with some iron Gallic styles (the Agen-Port styles) being adopted from Caesar's day onwards.
Imperial legionaries might wear iron or bronze. Auxiliaries are a lot less certain, but also probably both, with maybe bronze being more common then in the legions.“
There ya go.....
|
|
|
|
Post by felixs on Jan 27, 2021 18:04:41 GMT
Asked on the Society of Ancients forum - Duncan Head replied with: “ Late Republican helmets were mostly bronze Montefortino and Coolus types, with some iron Gallic styles (the Agen-Port styles) being adopted from Caesar's day onwards. Imperial legionaries might wear iron or bronze. Auxiliaries are a lot less certain, but also probably both, with maybe bronze being more common then in the legions.“ There ya go.....
Thank you very much!
|
|
|
|
Post by Cromwell on Jan 28, 2021 9:21:13 GMT
Thanks guys. Paints and brush coming out!
|
|
