Ancient Roman Military Uniforms Quiz

Answer: Greaves

Greaves were designed to protect the tibia bone, an area of particular vulnerability on the front of the leg. If that was damaged during battle, then the soldier was in dire trouble. He couldn't move properly, either to attack or defend, and basically, his eagle was cooked. Interestingly, this piece of equipment was designed with a metal exterior, but padded thickly with felt on the inside. The reason for the felt was that, without it, any well directed blow would transfer straight through the metal onto the leg instead. A distant relative of those ancient greaves today can be seen on the shins of sportsmen and women to protect their legs from a, hopefully, accidental blow from a member of an opposing team.

The photo clue is of a group of graves, resembling somewhat the sound of the word 'greaves'.

Answer: Baldric

The baldric was a belt worn over one shoulder as part of the uniform. It usually housed a sword, but depending on the task of the soldier, could carry a drum or bugle instead. Because of the way it was worn, it didn't restrict the movement of the arms. Made of leather, it was frequently decorated with metal or stones. Another belt, which was worn around the waist, was called a cintus.

The pictured clue is of a bald head - as in Baldric.

Answer: Manica

The manica was constructed with segments or plates that over-lapped one another and that were fastened together by leather straps. Initially this form of covering was worn only by gladiators, but its practicality found its way into use by the military as well. This fastening of the individual segments allowed for more flexible movements of the arms. Like the leg armour, a manica was also padded on the inside with felt. The plural form of 'manica' is 'manicae'.

The pictured clue is of a human male statue - as in 'manica'.

Answer: Lorica

This armour worn to protect the trunk of a Roman soldier came in several different styles. The lorica hamata, usually worn by centurions, was a type of mail armour that went out of fashion in the 1st century AD but was reintroduced in the 4th. It consisted of small metal rings all joined together and was quite heavy to wear. It also took many hours to manufacture. The lorica plumata was constructed of decorative scales that overlapped one another and that gave the armour the effect of looking like the plumage of a bird. It was usually worn by generals. The lorica segmentata was comprised of overlapping segments of metal and was usually worn by legionaries. However this was more for parade and display purposes, rather than on the field of battle. The lorica squamata consisted of small plates of metal sewn on fabric. This armour was worn by the regular legionaries, musicians, cavalry troops and flag bearers. Because of the smallness and relative lightness of the linking scales, this gave the armour a somewhat fishlike appearance from a distance.

The pictured clue is of a lorry - as in 'lorica'.

Answer: Tunic

Tunics were worn by most classes of Roman society, as well as its soldiers, and, depending on one's position in life, they could be made from wool, linen or silk. They also came in various styles as well. The soldier's tunic, however, was a brisk, no nonsense affair. Made from wool, it usually had a length that stopped just above the knee. This allowed for easier movement while marching and in battle, and, particularly so, while riding a horse. Based on early Greek designs, the word tunic derived from the Latin form of tunica.

The pictured clue is of a typical tunic worn by a schoolchild in those schools that require a uniform to be worn by their pupils.

Answer: Trousers

Fascinatingly so, Roman soldiers did indeed wear a form of trousers if they were stationed for lengthy periods of time in cooler climates. Made from wool, the Romans borrowed the idea of trousers from the Gauls after conquering that part of the world. Braccae were held up by a drawstring and either reached to the knee or lower. The soldiers muttered a little rebelliously when the idea was initially presented to them, for they considered trousers to be extremely effeminate. However, a few months in a northern winter quickly changed their minds.

The pictured clue is of a set of trousers.

Answer: Boots

Caligae were a type of thick, hobnailed boot worn by members of the Roman legions right throughout their empire. To our eyes, however, they look more like sandals than boots. Sandals were indeed worn by people of the Roman Empire, but they were for indoors purposes only. For external wear, they wore various other shoes, known as carbatina, soccus, calceus and solea. The open design of the military caligae allowed the circulation of fresh air onto the foot as well as protecting it. Each boot was made with three layers of leather with the top layer partly enclosing the foot. Thick hobnails were then hammered into the external base to reinforce the boot and to act as a form of traction. Interestingly, in colder climates, Roman soldiers did actually wear a type of sock as well, but those were not standard issue by any means.

The pictured clue depicts what is probably a rather irate little pig with boots on his trotters. Let's hope he wasn't marching towards the breakfast plate.

Answer: Yes

It seems a little odd to think of a husky Roman soldier wearing a scarf, but there was a very sensible reason for this item of clothing. The focale, made from wool or linen, was worn by members of the Roman military for the sole purpose of protecting their necks from the chaffing caused by their metal armour. It was knotted around the neck with its edges tucked in. Today it is considered by some to be the ancestor of the modern cravat or tie, which is a rather interesting theory.

The pictured clue for this photo is, of course, of a scarf. Its wearer probably tore it to shreds as soon as he or she could.

Answer: Marius Mules

A sarcina was the name given to the marching pack of the Roman soldier. It usually contained a small satchel, called a loculus, for storing personal items, a cooking pot, a mess tin, and similar small items. Heavier equipment was once carried along by mules and carts. Under General Marius (157-86 BC) however, soldiers were expected to carry every single item they needed themselves. The purpose of this was to reduce the size of the baggage train and to increase the soldiers' speed and mobility. The poor fellows were subsequently expected to carry all the above, plus enough provisions for several days at a time, a pickaxe, an ordinary axe, a hook, a scythe, a spade and a shovel. Nor were they allowed to have beds, but had to sleep on straw, or on the ground. To add insult to injury, and now loaded up with all that extra equipment, they were then promptly labelled as Marius' Mules. It's hardly surprising though that the Roman army made such an excellent fighting force then. The weaker ones probably all expired.

The pictured clue is of a mule.

Answer: Cloak

This cloak was once worn mostly by military commanders but occasionally by their troops as well. It could be either crimson, scarlet purple or white, and was attached to the uniform on one shoulder. Statues of Roman emperors are sometimes seen adorned in such a fashion. After the reign of the Emperor Augustus (27 BC-14 AD), the paludamentum became the sole right of the emperor, in fact, and soldiers were forbidden to wear it at all. Traditionally, the act of donning this article of clothing was seen as the onset of a new war.

The pictured clue is of a cloak.