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Severus

Caesar's Gallic Legions, Without Armor?

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Looking to start collecting a Caesarean army of 28mm figures. I went to the foundry site and came across models that are shown with the hamata armor I am familiar with, but there are also units of legionnaires shown wearing only a cloth tunic, helm and shield. Could anyone enlighten me on this and point me to some source that would show Caesar's legions going to battle without armor?

 

http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/collections/CR/1/index.asp

 

 

I have read the Gallic Wars and Civil Wars (not recently mind you) and I have no recollection of this sort of attire.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

Severus

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Looking to start collecting a Caesarean army of 28mm figures. I went to the foundry site and came across models that are shown with the hamata armor I am familiar with, but there are also units of legionnaires shown wearing only a cloth tunic, helm and shield. Could anyone enlighten me on this and point me to some source that would show Caesar's legions going to battle without armor?

 

http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/collections/CR/1/index.asp

 

 

I have read the Gallic Wars and Civil Wars (not recently mind you) and I have no recollection of this sort of attire.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

Severus

 

Could these maybe the slingers or even archers??

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Could these maybe the slingers or even archers??

 

 

Nope check the link

 

http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/collections/CR/1/index.asp

 

 

Top row center and top row left.

Legionaries Throwing Javelin (they have pilums in their hands)

Legionaries Attacking with Sword (they are armed with a gladius)

 

these are legionaries without body armor. . . Foundry seems like a knowledgable company that bases its molds on historical fact. What gives here?

 

Severus

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Could these maybe the slingers or even archers??

 

 

Nope check the link

 

http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/collections/CR/1/index.asp

 

 

Top row center and top row left.

Legionaries Throwing Javelin (they have pilums in their hands)

Legionaries Attacking with Sword (they are armed with a gladius)

 

these are legionaries without body armor. . . Foundry seems like a knowledgable company that bases its molds on historical fact. What gives here?

 

Severus

 

Mmmmm a tricky one i'll continue to look into it :lol:

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Another site you may want to check out for similar figures is Lead Warrior I have a few of their figurines, they are top quality (though unpainted) and they even come wrapped in bits of Russian newspaper!

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Another site you may want to check out for similar figures is Lead Warrior I have a few of their figurines, they are top quality (though unpainted) and they even come wrapped in bits of Russian newspaper!

 

 

Thanks for the link but I am not looking for miniatures, I am looking for the reasons (historical hopefully) that caused foundry to cast a whole line of Caesarean legions without any body armor at all?

 

 

Severus

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lol I thought when you said you were looking to start collecting that you were...well...collecting. :lol: my mistake.

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In the republican army, the armor you got was the stuff you could afford. Perhaps they were poor men. Since Caesar's army was after the Marian Reforms... I wouldn't know why they don't have armor.

Edited by Antiochus of Seleucia

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In the republican army, the armor you got was the stuff you could afford. Perhaps they were poor men.

 

 

I disagree with your statement. Since Marius' reforms of the army and the use of landless citizens in the legions soldiers were, for the most part, issued their gear. Before the time of Marius Roman soldiers were responsible for equipping themselves. I do not think it was so during the time of Caesar's Gallic wars.

 

 

P.S. Lost Warrior, I am collecting an army but I have already decided on Caesarean Romans from either the Foundry or Gripping Beast line of miniatures

 

 

Severus

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Read the second half of my post please... :lol:

You edited your original post and added the second half about Marius as I was typing a reply. I have quoted your original post in my post above . . . :D

 

 

Severus

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I've spent a couple of hours browsing De Bello Gallico looking for any instance where Caesar describes his legions have been involved in combat without armor. Caesar mentions no such detail in the following encounters which would seem most likely.

 

In no particular order...

The ambush of Sabinus and Lucius Cotta by Ambiorix

The precarious battle against the Nervians

The first landing in Britain involving a heroic effort by a standard bearer of the 10th

A Legion that was ambushed while foraging in Britain

The siege of Gergovia that almost ended in disaster and the attack against Labienus immediately thereafter

 

There are any number of possibilities I suppose, but I am well convinced that the miniature maker has taken some artistic liberty.

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Thanks for the help guys. From my own knowledge of Ceasars troops I have no recollection of unarmored troops.

 

 

I emailed the company that made the models. They had no answers and the sculptors have since left the employ of Foundry.

 

 

I have also found that another model maker (Gripping Beast) also has a line of unarmored Caesareans.

 

I will assume that no one has any ready knowledge of unarmored Romans and that the model makers have been taking some liberties (shame on them!)

 

Look forward to more interesting debates and informative posts.

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Thanks for the help guys. From my own knowledge of Ceasars troops I have no recollection of unarmored troops.

 

 

I emailed the company that made the models. They had no answers and the sculptors have since left the employ of Foundry.

 

 

I have also found that another model maker (Gripping Beast) also has a line of unarmored Caesareans.

 

I will assume that no one has any ready knowledge of unarmored Romans and that the model makers have been taking some liberties (shame on them!)

 

Look forward to more interesting debates and informative posts.

 

Indeed, this may simply be a case of generating revenue by offering a different sort of model. Seriously, they didn't reply to your inquiry?

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