Digital Romans - Interactive Research

Digital Romans II Interactive Research

Introduction

Digital Romans II

During this activity, you can:

• explore some facts about individual Romans
• look at what they wear
• look at what they carry

Legionary

Helmet

Javelin

Armour

Sword

Shield

Noble

Hair

Money

Jewellery

Robe

Dress

Emperor

Laurel wreath

Toga

Breast plate

Tunic

Animals

Donkey

Wolf

Dog

Horse

Slave

Tag

Water jug

Shirt

Tribesman

Helmet

Tattoos

Spear

Trousers

Gladiator

Helmet

Trident

Shield

Shoulder guard

Sandals

Armour

Legionaries wore a type of banded plate armour known as lorica segmentata. This armour was made from overlapping plates of iron or steel. Along with a shield and helmet, this gave good protection from stabbing and slashing attacks.

Shield

The Roman shield was known as a scutum. It was long and covered much of the body. The middle part is made of metal and could be used to batter enemies. Romans would often link their shields together to form what was called a Testudo (Tortoise) formation.

Trousers

Celtic people, or the Celts, often wore long trousers made from wool. These trousers were sometimes coloured using plants and berries. The Romans thought that people who wore trousers were barbarians and looked down on them.

Tag

Sometimes slaves would try to run away. The punishment for this could sometimes be terrible. If a slave tried to run away, their master might put a tag around their neck to show who they belonged to.

Horse

Horses were used for carrying supplies, war, travel and sport. One Roman Emperor called Caligula even made a horse a politician. Breeds included the Arabian and the Galician Pony.

Robe

Roman women would often wear a shawl or robe-like garment called a Stola. Wearing a Stola would show people if you were married or single. It was often worn by priestesses.

Shoulder guard

Gladiators wore a shoulder guard called a galerus. This offered some protection whilst standing side on to an enemy. It was connected to an arm guard called a manica.

Helmet

Leaders of Celtic tribes would have worn some kind of armour when going to war. Often they would wear breastplates and helmets. Helmets were usually made of bronze and had cheek plates to protect the head and face.

Jewellery

Noble women would often enjoy expensive Jewellery such as necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets. These would have been made from emeralds, diamonds, topaz, and pearls. Sometimes charms would be added to guard the wearer from evil or bad fortune.

Donkey

Donkeys are known for being able to carry heavy things for large distances. In the early days of the Roman Empire they were bred with horses to produce Mules. These were used to transport military equipment and goods.

Dress

What people wore could tell you a lot about them. Noble women would be encouraged to dress respectably, this would normally mean wearing a long tunic. The colour and cut of the tunic would show what class of citizen was wearing it.

Breast plate

Powerful generals and emperors would often wear fancy armour when they felt like showing off. Often, they would wear a breastplate, called a cuirass or lorica musculata. They were made from a range of materials, depending on whether being used for ceremony or actual warfare.

Dog

The Romans kept dogs for hunting, guarding, and scouting. The closest type of dog breed today that matches what the Romans might have used would be the Mastiff. It is thought that the name of the dog that the Romans used was called a Molossus.

Wolf

Romans were very respectful of wolves and used them as symbols. In Roman folklore, the founders of the city, who were called Romulus and Remus were protected by a Wolf when they were young. The Roman (latin) word for wolf is “Lupus”.

Spear

Celtic warriors often fought using spears to allow them to attack from further away. The spear was made of a wooden shaft and an iron tip, but some early spears are just sharpened wood. Sometimes spears were decorated for ceremonial use.

Shoulder guard

Some gladiators wore a shoulder guard called a galerus. This offered some protection whilst standing side on to an enemy. It was connected to an arm guard called a manica.

Sandals

Gladiators wore sandals with thick leather straps, these have influenced footwear that people still wear today. They often wore metal leg protectors over these called greaves.

Water Jug

Slaves worked in different roles, from farming to mining. Depending on what kind of job you did, would sometimes depend on how you were treated. This slave is carrying a water jug called an amphora, perhaps carrying water as a kitchen duty.

Tattoos

The Celtic people took great pride in their appearance, particularly when going to war. Sometimes warriors would cover their bodies in artwork called tattoos. Romans thought of Celtic warriors as “wild beasts”!

Trident

Gladiators who used a trident usually also had a net and were known as Retarius or “net man”. A Roman trident would have been known as a tridens or tridentis meaning “three teeth”. Neptune, the god of the sea was often shown carrying a trident so the weapon had a spiritual meaning as well as being a fishing tool or weapon.

Tunic

Like all Romans, the emperor would wear a tunic, underneath their toga. Being rich and powerful, the emperor would probably have a tunic made of linen. The colour would depend on the occasion, sometimes it might even be embroidered with gold !

Helmet

Soldiers wore a type of helmet called a Galea. Some soldiers added a crest with coloured horsehair to show that they were of a certain rank. The Galea had cheek and neck guards to protect the wearer.

Shirt

Most Romans wore long shirt that covered most of the body, this was called a Tunic. Soldiers wore a woollen tunic, and may have worn more than one if it was cold. Slaves would likely have the least quality clothing with drab colours to reflect their status.

Javelin

Roman Legionaries carried a long, thin Javelin which was called a Pilum. Unlike a spear, which is designed for stabbing, the Pilum was thrown. As Legionaries charged into battle, they would hurl their Pilums at the enemy.

Helmet

Gladiators often wore heavy duty helmets. The helmet they wore depended on the fighting style. The helmet pictured was worn by murmillo gladiators. Sometimes the helmets would be decorated with pictures.

Laurel wreath

Roman emperors would often wear a crown or wreath made of a type of leaf. To the Romans, this was a sign of victory or being as powerful as a god. Originally, the wreath was made of leaves but some rulers preferred them to be made of gold!

Sword

Roman soldiers used a sword which was known as a Gladius. The Gladius was short and light, good for stabbing and slashing. The long part, which is known as the blade, was made of either Iron or Steel.

Toga

Roman citizens would wear togas over their tunics to show status and wealth. Purple and red togas often meant that you were powerful or of the ruling class. White togas normally meant that you were a commoner.

Money

Roman money was made from gold, silver, bronze, and copper. Different values of money were called different names. An Aureus was worth a lot and made of gold. A Quadrans was made of bronze, and wasn’t worth very much.

Hair

Roman women would wear their hair in a variety of styles from long wavy strands to tight knotted braids. Here you can see a sculpture of Vibia Sabina, showing off her fabulous braids !

Shield

What kind of shield a gladiator used depended on the fighting style. A Parmularius was a gladiator who used a small, round shield called a parmula. A Scutarius was a gladiator who used a larger shield called a scutum.