Paludamentum
In Republican and Imperial Rome, the paludamentum (Template:Plural form) was a cloak or cape fastened at one shoulder, worn by military commanders (e.g., the legatus) and rather less often by their troops. As supreme commander of the whole Roman army, Roman emperors were often portrayed wearing it in their statues and on their coinage. After the reign of Augustus, the paludamentum was restricted to the Emperor.[1] Children would also wear it sometimes, when there was bad weather and they needed protection.
The paludamentum was generally crimson, scarlet, or purple in colour,[2] or sometimes white.[3] It was fastened at the shoulder with a clasp, called a fibula, whose form and size varied through time. Putting on the paludamentum was a ceremonial act on setting out for war.[4]
Etymology
According to Varro in De lingua latina L VII,37: Template:Text and translation
Notes
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- ↑ Hertha Sauer, "Paludamentum", Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft 18.3, (1949).
- ↑ Historical accounts of colors and dyes, and their usage by different military ranks, vary. See: Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ (1919.) "The Encyclopedia Americana". Encyclopedia Americana Corporation, page 220. Retrieved on 2007-10-06.
- ↑ Roman Tribune: "Clothing of the Military Roman TribuneScript error: No such module "Category handler".[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".." Retrieved on August 16, 2010
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