Republican and Early Imperial Roman Cavalry Colours

[BrianC]

Hi All,

I have been searching the net for colours to paint my Republican and Early Imperial Roman Cavalry but can find nothing. I have the horses painted but want to paint the riders. Does anyone know the colours of the various pieces of clothing and armour? If you know of a good link could you pass it along, or a painting guide?

Thanks

Brian

[karakhanid]

Hello
Check:
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/luke/ueda-sarson ... terns.html
Later date, but you know, armies love tradition.
Mikel

[Ironhand]

Republican cavalry would likely have red or white tunics, with either iron chainmail or a bronze "muscle" cuirass. Leather items would be some shade of brown - since leather fades with use and time, probably any shade would do. Helmets would I think be bronze. At this time shields would be generally a plain color with a bronze rim and boss. I don't know about Early Imperials, sorry.

[morrisbh]

According to "The Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome" by Phil Barker
All Harness is maroon
Saddle Cloths always dark green
Saddles normally yellow-brown but sometimes maroon
Tunics most likely to be white
Crests most likely yellow
Trousers brown
Cloak most likely yellow-brown
Helmet iron
All belts etc maroon

I hope this helps

[Niceas]

Google is your friend:

Do a GIS (Google Image Search) on "Roman Cavalry"

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q ... a=N&tab=wi

You'll get illustrations, photos of reenactors, etc...There is enough there to give you lots of ideas.

To wit Barker's colors above; he attributes some of them to a painted grave stone from Germany, mentions in literature, wall paintings, and others to poetry. (Which of course, isn't quoted).

In general, the reconstructions tend to be unbleached linen/wool for the tunic, brown/dark for the trousers, leather work--leather colors. Saddle cloths probably were not in *bright* colors being that they'd get dirty from the horse pretty quickly.

Shields are iffy. Trajan's column is pretty much the source for EIR shield patterns, but colors are much more conjectural.

Have fun painting.