- The Romans used a somewhat lightly regulated uniform system in the Republic, which would result in some animal pelts being used. It was somewhat barbaric to wear pelts, as the Romans compared fur with living in the countryside. However, there were standardized and more common usage of pelts.
- Firstly, during the Siege of Capua in 212 BC during the second Punic War, a new special unit was introduced:
- “out of all the legions were picked young men who by reason of strength and lightness of build were the swiftest. these were furnished with round shields of smaller size than those used by cavalry, and seven javelins apiece four feet long and having iron heads such as are on the spears of the light —armed troops. The horsemen would each of them take one of these men on to their own horses, and they trained them both to ride behind and to leap down nimbly when the signal was given. when thanks to daily practice they seemed to do this with sufficient daring, they advanced into the plain which was situated between the camp and the city wall in the face of the Capuan cavalry in battle —line. and when they had come within range, at a given signal the light —armed leaped to the ground. thereupon an infantry line suddenly dashes out from the cavalry at the enemy’s horsemen, and while attacking they hurl one javelin after another.”
- [7:57 PM]Another would be the famous Aquilifer, a compound name of aquila, meaning eagle, and fers, meaning to carry. They carried the eagle standard, which was of HUGE importance to the Romans. If that standard was lost, it was seen as a near cataclysmic event. After all, it was a symbol of the legendary god Jupiter. Much like the velites, (although the velites were retired in the Marian Reforms,) the Aquilifer was given a lion fur pelt to wear. They usually were in charge of the army’s pay. Julius Caesar puts how much influence on the army the aquilifer had when he prepared his landing during the first invasion of Britannia.
- ”And while our men were hesitating [whether they should advance to the shore], chiefly on account of the depth of the sea, he who carried the eagle of the tenth legion, after supplicating the gods that the matter might turn out favorably to the legion, exclaimed, “Leap, fellow soldiers, unless you wish to betray your eagle to the enemy. I, for my part, will perform my duty to the commonwealth and my general.”
- Sources Adrian Goldsworthy, The Complete Roman Army Christopher Matthew, On the Wings of Eagles: The Reforms of Gaius Marius and the Creation of Rome … Polybius, Histories 6 Plutarch, John Langhorne, William Langhorne, Plutarch’s Lives: Translated from the Original Greek Julius Caesar, Commentarii De Bello Gallico