engleski

Roman Military Gear Depicted on Grave Monuments from the Archaeological Museum in Split

Grave monuments held in the Archaeological Museum in Split containing depictions of portions of Roman military gear are analyzed in this work. The motifs on the stelae are diverse: weapons, implements, designations of military status, clothing and accoutrements, musical instruments. Most of the stelae are architectural stelae. The most numerous date to the first century. The portrayals on them do not differ greatly from the gear shown on stelae in other parts of the Empire. The stelae belonging to members of the cohors II Cyrenaica are specific in that they bear detailed portrayals of archery gear. Military grave stelae had appeared since the Late Republic era, and most date to the first century and during that time they spread from Italy to the Roman provinces together with the expansion of the Roman Empire’s territory. During the second century, their numbers declined, but they appeared over a very wide territory. For the purposes of this study, it is significant that the decline in their quantity was paralleled by a decline in quality, with less attention dedicated to details. In the third century their number increased in some territories of the Empire, and they were also present in larger urban centres. Stelae as military grave monuments were used by soldiers until the fourth century, and thereafter they fell out of use. This was also the situation in the province of Dalmatia, where the most numerous and highest quality military stelae were made in the first century. The highest number of military units were posted in Dalmatia during this period. Production of grave monuments proceeded in both legionary camps during this period, Tilurium (Legio VII Claudia Pia Fidelis) and Burnum (Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis). Most of the stelae examined herein, eight in all, were discovered in Roman-era Salona, while four are from Tilurium, three from Dugopolje, two from Andetrium, and one is from Narona. Generally they can be dated to the first century, while a smaller number of stelae date to the second and third centuries. Military gear is a very broad concept, and besides assault and defensive weaponry, it also includes implements which soldiers had to carry with them, clothing and footwear, riding gear, insignia, honours and medals, meaning everything which denoted a soldier as such and all of the equipment he used.

roman grave monuments; roman military gear; offensive and defensive weaponry; implements; clothing; riding gear; insignia; honours; medals

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