Books | Links | Tips | The Site | What's New | Comments             Basics     Hannibal     Punic1 War No.1     Punic War No. 2     Punic War No. 3     Carthage     Rome     Armies     Battles     People     Places & Maps     Timelines     Art     Activities     Sources   Web This Site Appearance of the Armies        Numidians     Spanish: Iberians (inc Balearic), Celtiberian and Lusitani     Romans Infantry: Hastati/Principes (Blades), Triarii (Spear), Velites/Leves (Psiloi) Note: foot officers are covered in the section on rich people.     Rich Romans: Foot Officer, Cavalry, Generals, Consul. As Roman infantry (above) except     Italians As Roman infantry except:     Gauls Hair (their own)     Black     Black or dark brown     Black or dark brown                 Fair (blond, brown, red), often bleached with a thick wash of lime (thus white, stiff & spiky) Skin (their own)     Brown                               Tunic     Varied: White to off white (so exciting!!).       no uniform; so lots of variety White base with scarlet* decoration (national dress for all Spanish). Note: A few of the rich Iberians (like Generals) in red tunics with white trim For decorations see illustrations; minimum =strip around collar, cuffs, hem. Note 1     Base material: White*  Note 2        Base material: Red     no uniform; so lots of variety Base material: In order of frequency: white, red, crimson, red-brown, ochre, light grey, blue-grey.  Cavalry would use more colour than infantry. Decorations: Any of (in no order): white, red, crimson, red-brown, ochre, light grey, blue-grey, black, yellow, blue.     rich people (chiefs + cavalry) would have brighter colours and be more likely to have patterns In order of frequency for poor people: Natural (off-white), brown, bright yellow, scarlet, blue, purple.  Often in: strips, checks/tartan Cloak           Note: Rich (officers, cavalry) are more likely to vary Black is common, plus a few with: Iberian : scarlet; Celtiberian/Lustitani: Gallic pattern     Wolf skin     Base material: Red (Purple for Consul)           Scarlet, blue or black Often with strips, checks or borders.  Wolf skin Greaves (leg guard)           Bronze     Bronze           Bronze:       Helmet     Bronze     Bowl if sinew (common): off-white to light brown.   Bowl if metal: BronzeCrest: Red, black, or white     Bowl: Bronze Crest: Two black & one red feather     Crest: Red, black, or white; or alternate these colours     Bowl: Bronze Crest: Red, black, or white; or alternate these colours Feathers: Black or white     Bowl: Bronze (common) and/or iron Crest: black, red or white (?) Shield     Tribesmen would just have a brown leather shield. Roman Trained infantry would have a painted wooden shields with Carthaginian style designs.      no uniform; so lots of variety Shield Face: see illustrations for patterns.  Bright and patterned. Note: Celtiberians/Lusitani would use both Iberian and Gallic shield patterns. Edge of oval shield, + boss: Iron     Face: Red with no pattern? . The wooden spine should also be red.  Generally painting guides suggest giving Romans shields of various plain colours, possibly varied by unit.  All Head (1982) does is cite a light-brown illustration, and a red illustration although the latter is for non-Roman troops armed in Roman style.   Boss: Iron      Face: Red with no pattern. Rim: Bronze     no uniform; so lots of variety Star was popular - all variations on what we know as the Macedonian star. Scutum (oval shield). Known patterns include: black stars on yellow (bronze?);  black stars on brown, light brown rim;  red star on white;  plain bronze Some may have had iron bosses. Round shields.  Known patterns include: plain bronze;  some blazon on bronze - probably any Greek ones would do;  red disk on bronze;  centre & rim of bronze, grey wreath on broad white circle Wicker shield (light brown?).     (much variety) Face : Bright and patterned Boss: Iron (common) or bronze Belt     Base material: Leather Fittings including plaques: Bronze, gold or silver     Base material: Leather Fittings including plaques: Bronze, gold or silver     Base material: Leather Fittings: Bronze           Base material : Bronze     Base material: Leather Fittings: Bronze Neck or arm bands: Gold or bronze Sandals/boots + straps     Base material: Leather Fittings: Bronze     Base material: Leather Fittings: Bronze     Base material: Leather Fittings: Bronze           Base material: Black Fittings: Bronze     Base material: Leather Fittings: Bronze Body Armour           Mail: Iron Scale: Iron or Bronze one or more, square or round plates: Bronze including shoulder straps     Mail: Iron Plate (square or corslet): Bronze     Pteruges (leather strips from arms and waist; if worn): White (?)     Plate (square, round or group of same): Bronze     Mail: Iron Sword and dagger     Handle: Ivory or wood or ironScabbard: Wood or leather with bronze fittingsBlade: Steel     Handle: Ivory or wood or iron Scabbard: Wood or leather with bronze fittings, or entirely iron Blade: Steel; a few Lusitani with Bronze     Handle: Ivory or wood Scabbard: Bronze Blade: Steel                 Handle: Ivory or wood Scabbard: Leather with iron/bronze fittings, or entirely iron Blade: Steel Javelin, pilum, spear     Haft: WoodShaft + Blade: Steel     Haft: Wood Shaft + Blade: Steel; a few Lusitani with Bronze     Haft: Wood Shaft + Blade: Steel                 Haft: Wood Shaft + Blade: Steel Horses     The horse: As you would expect, but predominantly brown.The trappings: leather     The horse: As you would expect, but Spain was famous for Duns (hence common).  The trappings: Steel, bronze, or silver fittings.  Bright colours on straps, saddle, etc.                         Standard           Emblem: Silver or bronze Haft: Wood     Emblem: Silver Haft: Wood                 Emblem: Bronze or Silver Haft: Wood Instruments           Bronze or baked clay     Trumpet Bronze                 Bronze Note 1: * Polybius says Purple, but there are two problems with this: 1. Dye was expensive and purple dye was the most expensive, for example, only Roman Consuls wore purple.  2. Purple dye was expensive because it was hard to get; the only source I know of was in Palestine.  There was no source in Spain. It is much more likely that the predominant colour was red given Spain was a major exporter of this colour.  I fairly arbitrarily choose scarlet as the tone to use.  I believe the Osprey Armies of the Carthaginian Wars  specifies crimson instead of purple although i can't confirm this as I don't have the book.  Note 2: Generally painting guides suggest Romans wore coloured tunics during the Punic Wars, red being the most likely contender; Head (1982) suggests red for example.  However, There is an on-going debate in academic circles about the tunic colour in the Late Roman Empire, and I find the "white" argument more convincing and apply the same logic to the Republic.  Dye was expensive making white or off-white far more probable for state issued gear.