EB July New Units Preview

**Swordmaster** · 08-01-2007, 22:43

Originally Posted by hooahguy14

is the brightness level in the options menu?

It should be on your monitor.

**Hooahguy** · 08-02-2007, 00:06

Originally Posted by Swordmaster

It should be on your monitor.

thanks- i couldnt find it on the options menu!

**Hooahguy** · 08-02-2007, 00:24

ok- so before i "surrender" to the makers of this game about the plume argument, can someone associated with the historical accuracy of the game cite the source they used that convinced them to put plumes on the helmets on the cohors imperatoria?

**Zaknafien** · 08-02-2007, 00:44

just some food for throught for you, I dont have time to dig into our sources right now. But you know that the horsehair plumes and crests were probably not even horsehair and were in fact fabricated much like the wolf pelts believed to have been worn by the velites and later antesignani.

however, I can tell you that the Imperial Gallic and Imperial Italic helmets had plume-tubes on the side of the bowl which could receive decorative plumes in addition to the forked crest-box holders. Now, no example of a crest-box has survived from this period, but we know they were widespread (and plumes) due to their placement on the helmets. An excellent plume tube was found at Rheingonheim, for example. Soldiers on the relief formerly known as the Altar of Domitus Ahenobarbus wear long, presumably horse-hair plumes that hang down the rear of the helmet to the shoulders.

If you read Ceasar, he recalls an attack by the Nervii which was so rapid that the legionaries did not have enough time to either remove their shield covers, nor afix their 'insgnia' , a term which probably refers to helmet plumes.

It might intrest you to know that, curiously enough, no fittings have been identified that might have belonged to a transverse crest worn by centurions.

**Hooahguy** · 08-02-2007, 00:59

Originally Posted by Zaknafien

If you read Ceasar, he recalls an attack by the Nervii which was so rapid that the legionaries did not have enough time to either remove their shield covers, nor afix their 'insgnia' , a term which probably refers to helmet plumes.

but that was during the marian era, not principate

Originally Posted by Zaknafien

It might intrest you to know that, curiously enough, no fittings have been identified that might have belonged to a transverse crest worn by centurions.

o- wow- i didnt know that thats pretty interesting- thanks!

**Hooahguy** · 08-02-2007, 01:01

well, i guess ill be "surrendering"....

now that i look less objectivly at it, i actually think that they look pretty cool w/ the plumes... but they look almost exactly like the evocata. was that intentional?

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 08-04-2007, 00:35

Originally Posted by hooahguy14

but that was during the marian era, not principate

There are two things that make us think they probably had a simple plume well into the Principate, firstly there's not real reason not to, soldiers had been wearing sugh for centuries, secondly, we know Centurians and other Officers wore their more complicated crests. Overall the evidence suggest that they wore a simple plume, probably of undyed horsehair or maybe dyed wool. We cannot, however, say for certain. At the same time though I can't tell you who was and was not using the old Republic Scutum, it may have been abandoned around the time of Caesar or have still been in use at the death of Augustus.

**Tellos Athenaios** · 08-04-2007, 05:06

Wasn't the scutum retained for cavalry auxilia, or am I confusing it with another, similiar type of shield?

**Centurio Nixalsverdrus** · 08-02-2007, 21:19

Originally Posted by Zaknafien

...were in fact fabricated much like the wolf pelts believed to have been worn by the velites and later antesignani.

They were fabricated? That's cool. I have always been a bit worried about the thousands of poor wolves that had to die for those velites.

What about the bear-furs weared by the Signiferes and Aquiliferes? I once heard that the Romans had a corps of Ursarii especially for the purpose of getting enough bear-skins for the Legions.

**Hooahguy** · 08-03-2007, 22:02

ok- i got some evidence which proves both of us right- in the book "Warfare in the Classical World" John Warry writes that plumes were still used during Augustus time during battle, but shortly afterwards they were restricted to parades. so i guess both of us are right.