General Standards

Accuracy of presentation is our watchword. When we represent the soldiers of a Roman Legion to the public, they assume that our equipment is accurate — and we owe it to them to make it as accurate as possible given the documented knowledge available. Accordingly, all clothing and equipment should be as authentic as the modern world allows, tempered by some practicality.

 

Our goal is to recreate Roman soldiers and civilians, not necessarily the individual industries that produced their clothing and accessories. Therefore fabric does not have to be hand-woven, and armor is made of mild sheet steel. Bearing that limitation in mind, the best way to make something is the way it was made in Roman times. If a dagger scabbard, for example, was made of thin sheet metal, a reproduction of it should not be cast. Resist the urge to “fake it”–such objects are usually unconvincing, fragile, or both. It is always agonizing to see someone go to great effort to make something wrong! When planning a project, take time to study the Handbook and other photos, drawings, and descriptions of original examples that you can find. Don’t try to “reinvent the wheel”, and stick to copying excavated artifacts rather than interpreting pictorial evidence, whenever possible.

 

You are always encouraged to exceed or surpass our minimum standards of accuracy, of course! The use of such things as hand-forged metal or hand-woven cloth can give results that are surprising, or teach us things we could not learn from the modern equivalents.

 

“Burden of Proof”–It is up to you to provide historical evidence for any item or technique you wish to use which is not covered in the Handbook–you may not use something just because it cannot be proved wrong! The Handbook is not exhaustive or omniscient, but it should indicate whether some conjecture or extrapolation is necessary. More information can be found in the books listed in the Bibliography, so please read! It is also impossible to list the countless ways NOT to do something–ask the Centurio or Optio if you have any doubts.

 

The following rules of thumb should give a good idea of our goals:

• Clothing–Linen or wool–must be 100%, no blends or substitutes. Twills were common. Cotton and silk for civilians only, and must be approved before use. All exposed stitching (hems, etc.) must be done by hand.

• Leather–Vegetable-tanned, top grain. Do not use splits, suede, and chrome-tanned leathers. Goatskin and calf were common. May be dyed, and should be treated with oil. Click here for Leatherworking Tips.

• Metal–Mild steel, NOT galvanized or stainless. Brass may be used for bronze items. No tubular, split, or pop rivets. Click here for Armoring Hints.

• Wood–Ash is best for weapon shafts and tool handles. Exotic types like ebony should be avoided unless provable.

 

Our more experienced members can find flaws in virtually everything we wear and use, but we understand that perfection is impossible. A reproduction is good enough if a reasonably knowledgeable person can pick it up and try it on without finding any anachronisms. And a good reenactor will always strive to improve even beyond that point.

 

Recommended Order of Kit Acquisition

When assembling your gear, it’s sometimes tough to decide where to start. For this reason, a brief tutorial from the Centurio is offered here to guide a new recruit in “a way” to proceed. This hobby is different for all of us, but these tips are ones that some of us have learned the hard way through trial and error.

 

The Basic Kit required for participation in Legio XI events includes the following (in order of recommended acquisition):

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