Historic Replicas

Roman tunics

were not only worn by the men,  although a woman’s tunic was a lot fuller than a man’s, and was generally full length down to her ankles.  Women, of course, did not go to war in these times, at least not in the Roman army, and their dress was therefore more suited to their duties, which for a patrician lady would be very few since they had slaves to carry out all their work for them.If you want to try it yourself, a tunic is simple to make, and you could almost do it using a large pillow case, or bolster. Alternatively, do as the Romans did and simple cut two pieces of material into identical shapes and sew them together at the sides, and at the shoulders, but cut it long enough to go past your knees once it is belted round your waist.  Although the traditional material was wool, that is only because that was the most common fiber available to the Romans. You can use cotton or any other material, but make sure you can dye it red if you are using it as part of a Roman soldier’s uniform.

If you are involved in reenactments, particularly Roman or Greek, then the tunic will be an essential item of clothing irrespective of what type of person you are representing:  it was worn by soldiers and generals, slaves and senators.  The rest of the clothing worn was generally used to indicate class, with togas worn only by Roman citizens, and different embellishments of it distinguishing the various classes.  The Romans were a very class conscious community. The emperor wore a purple toga with a laurel wreath on his head.

If you are considering theme-decorating a room in your home, which is very popular at the moment, a Roman theme would not be difficult to achieve.  Your dinner parties would be the talk of the town, especially if you were wearing a Roman sword and tunic Or, if you have a military leaning, a tunic, a Roman helmet and a Roman soldier’s uniform. The tunic appears to have been the basic garment in ancient Rome, worn underneath the outer-garments. 

October 31st- Halloween – Time to prepare your knock out outfit.

If you have any intentions of dressing up as a Roman soldier, then the first article of clothing that you will need will be a red tunic (see my previous posts on the history of the Roman’s red tunic).  The Roman tunic will be the base over which all other pieces of clothing will be worn, so it is an absolute must have. 

Next you will need to wear a good set of armor.  The Lorica is the metal breast plate that protects the chest and abdomen areas.   The most common form of the lorica segmenta armor is the piece that has overlapping metal plates helping to cover every inch of the flesh.  The next essential piece that you will need to invest in is a proper Roman helmet, which can be with or without a crest and plumes (think legionnare helmets).  You could also wear leg and arm protection, although this is not strictly necessary unless you are actually involved in fighting.

Here is an interesting source that I found for background on Roman Helmet, particularly legionary armor.  http://www.roman-empire.net/articles/article-006.html

Halloween will soon be upon us so I decided to talk about easy to make historical costumes.  Today I will start with Roman/Greek period pieces, beginning with the roman tunic.

The origin of the sterotypical red Roman tunic is an interesting one.  Greeks, specifically the Spartans, were known for wearing the color red into battles so that their opponents would never see them bleed.  It is quite an ingenious idea really, so it is not surprising that the Romans soon adopted the same tradition.  Before going into battle, the Romans issued red tunics to their soldiers to be worn underneath the Roman armor.  Soon thereafter, the English chose the exact same color for their military forces.  I am sure that the average British soldier had no idea that their famed name of ”Redcoats” had orgins back to ancient Greece and Roman replicas.

Historically, the Roman tunic was made from two long pieces of wool, on equal length, sewn together on either side and at the shoulders.  The tunic was then belted with cloth, roping or leather to create the look we all see in the Gladiator movies. The materials for the tunic were typically undyed for everyday use, but when worn by the Roman soldiers, the wool was stained a bright red to be worn into battle.  A very interesting fact is that the higher the social status of the wearer, the finer the wool.  The highest diplomats in ancient Rome, the senators, doned purple stripes on their tunics to display status.

Roman tunics are fun to wear and easy to make.  More talk on how to construct a Roman tunic and Roman solider costume to come.

Many schools have a day when they allow kids to dress up as historical figures. Some common costumes include; Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Queen Victoria and Sacajawea. There are so many options; you should encourage your child to pick a unique costume. Kids may want to dress as a Roman warrior. And, if they do, parents need not worry much about costume. Keep it simple by using an old white sheet, a thick leather belt and sandals. Encourage your child to make their own costume. If they are dressing like a Roman warrior they can make their own roman shield by following these instructions.

1.) Gather cardboard, glue and some decorations.
2.) Cut your cardboard into a rectangle.
3.) Next take a small piece of the left-over cardboard (about 2-inches thick by 8-inches long) and glue it to the back of the shield. Avoid gluing the ends, or you won’t be able to handle your shield.
4.) Let your shield dry.