How to dress a Germanic Foederatus in late antiquity (later 4th century).
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- Germanic speaker, 4th century AD upper Danube regions: Civilian fashion and armed Foederatus or veteran.
Shoes based on Borremose (DK) finds, dated later 3rd to 4th century. I chose these because they resemble in form and shape the often depicted shoes ubiquitous at the time, while not being from a strictly speaking Roman context. They reflect an apparent fashion ideal of the time.
Trousers based on Thorsberg models, dated broadly to late antiquity and visible in ample contemporary iconography as standard pants worn all around Europe.
The tunic is a hybrid between dimensions known from Germanic contexts such as Thorsberg and more Mediterranean construction with a waste tuck. The fabric is also rather non Roman, with more narrow weaving width and diamond twill instead of the predominant tabby weave in Roman contexts.
The belts are all super simple one buckle belts, some buckles feature the "Tierkopfstil", which became very fashionable, specially in Allemannic and Frankish contexts on the Rhine and upper Danube.
The Alicula is supposedly also a very ancient and wide spread garment, as it is already present in Gallic iconography in the 1st century BC and can also be found in form of the Orkney hood from Late antiquity. I suppose it is thus a garment worn in various forms all throughout Europe in the iron age.
The longer equivalent, the Casula/Paenula/Cucullus is also to be found in pre Roman and post Roman depiction and seems to have been just as widely spread a garment as the Alicula and not limited to Roman fashion.
The Pilleus Pannonicus, as the name indicates, was predominantly seen as a local Pannonian headdress fashion. However, it's widespread use in late antiquity, becoming the standard headpiece of the Roman army and also found well into the middle ages in all of Europe, is a safe bet for a man living near the Danube in the 4th century AD.
As a veteran or a lucky plunderer, a spatha with a Nydam based H style grip and simple scabbard applications, is also a safe bet. Some swords may have been produced in the Roman empire and then reused in the Germanic speaking world.
The cape is a typical Roman military cape, even with a small crossbow fibula still attached. It may be sign of former or active service in the imperial army or a trophy.
Note the colour scheme is very similar to the Roman one. Too many Germanic reenactors are too brown and monochrome in their dress as compared to contemporary tastes visible in iconography. The colours I use here are not expensive or hard to obtain.
Since we lack more clearly Germanic depictions or artefacts from this time, it is difficult to go much further than this in terms of textiles without having to take recourse in Roman or Mediterranean elements. Which is however methodically legitimate and plausible to an extent in my opinion.
Music: Aelfric - Hildebrandslied
Support our work via:
www.patreon.com/projectquartodecimani
#romanempire #history #germanic #foederatus #nordic #roman