The real life Romans wore a sort of short trousers when up in the cold parts at Scotland`s borders. So you`re right about that.

Please, please: Caledonia's borders

Romans originally didn't know what "pants" were. They learned to wear trousers from their enemies, the celts. The Latin word for trousers (bracae - like in "breeches") is derived from a celtic word. So, the Celts invented pants. That's why it's ironic that some people today like to stress their celtic roots by not wearing pants, but skirts (kilts).

"Let me guess...."

someone did steal my sweetroll.

"The Imperials of Skyrim were always based on the Roman Empire"

no, someone stole my sweetroll.

Irony is "kilts" weren't invented 'till the 16th C. Anyway, you have a good point. The gladius was taken from a Spanish-Celtic weapon, armours - especially the helm - was taken from Gallic design. The Roman's had a nack for taking what was best from their enemies and using it themselves. Such as taking warriors from Germanic tribes to form the Emperor's personal bodyguards at one stage.

Wasn't that just a naginata? In Japan, samurai women trained to use because it's reach allowed them to overcome the size difference with men. The warrior monks, or Sohei, also used it. It wasn't exactly such an elite weapon.

Kilts are not dervied from skirts. They are derived from plaide, a blanket worn in a particular pattern (we'd call it a plaid pattern), that was looped around the body and fastened with a ginormous pin. During the industrial revolution, it was noted that this garment was cumbersome for Scots workers, and it was shortened up and made mpore practical, and the kilt was born. Nothing to do with skirts

I realized that when i saw the name "Tullius"

Yup, i've always liked the Roman feel from the Imperials.

Are you saying the Imperial armor in Morrowind didn't have strong Roman influences? Because if you are then you really need to look again.

In Morrowind your typical legionnaire would be equipped with an imperial galea lookalike and a scutum, and with either a lorica hamata lookalike or a decorated muscle curass complete with ptergues.

They looked more like Greek Hoplites in late Medieval plate armour. The fact that the legion in Skyrim took it back to the more Roman Morrowind look was an extremely welcome change to me.



Not to mention the Gallic helmets worn in the late 1st Century AD that were just adopted by the Legion in Morrowind with no change to their design. The smaller leather/light helms in Skyrim look more like earlier late B.C. and early 1st Century AD helmets (at least in shape). The Armour it self in Skyrim looks like the ring mail armour worn in the HBO series Rome. In Morrowind it looks much more like the Ceremonial Armour's worn by emperors and members of the ruling class. Either way, the Roman way is the way to go.

The only thing that Skyrim seemed a bit lazy on is the fact that the lowest rank is "private". There is a quest line where they send you after "Pte. So-and-so"... which was a bit of an immersion breaker for me. Why not just make the lowest rank Legionnairy rather than Pte? Seems like an oversight to me.

The Legion Officer's Helm's look more like the Hoplite helmets seen in Oblivion.

Romans had one of the best empire to ever exist, even after it's fall we still have it implemented in our daily life. It would be surprising that an Empire in a game is based off a real life empire.

I'm saying that the Morrowind Imperial armors, while reminding of the Roman armors, had a more unique feeling than the ones we see in Skyrim, which is pretty much a copy/paste of the Roman armors.

That is all.

I think if you revisit Morrowind, you'll see that the chest armour, skirt, leg guards and helmets are all direct ports of Roman Armour. Sure, the pauldrons were a complete fabrication but otherwise it looked identical to Roman stuff. Like I said, they have Gallic helmets, someone else pointed out the Lorica Segmentata briast plates. They had the rectangular tower shields complete with iirc the lightning bolts in four directions seen on Roman shields and gladius short swords.

So Legion in Morrowind = Roman Soldiers in more ceremonial looking gear. Legion in Skyrim = More practical looking, campaign Army of The 1st Century A.D. Which, I like way more than the weird full plate greek hoplite's we saw in Oblivion. It was strange to see 12-14th century style or D&D style plate armour with a Ancient Greek/300 movie style helm. It seemed off to me, especially given the fact that the town guards were wearing very medieval ring mail with Norman helms and coifs. It seemed from a design stand point more disjointed. At least in Skyrim, they keep like with like.

Not at all actually. No Roman Soldier ever looked anything like an exact copy of any Imperial in Skyrim.

The only thing that's vaguely similar is the armor for the highest officers, which seems to have some lorica segmentata influence added to the upper body. And the light ringmail armor which resembles lorica hamata. But other than that it doesn't look anywhere "more" Roman than the Imperial armors in Morrowind looked.

[edit]

There's no lorica Segmentata in Morrowind.

The chainmail used by many Morrowind Legionnaires strongly resembles lorica hamata.
The other common armor worn by Morrowind Legionnaires is a decorated muscle cuirass with ptergues. Even though roman higher officers loved that type of armor, it's actually common throughout much of the Mediterranean and Hellenistic in origin.

Lorica Segmentata only appears in the upper body part of the highest rank Imperial armor in Skyrim.

I didn`t know that. thnx.

Housparty, I stand corrected on the Lorica Segmentata. I kind of just spoke without double checking the post. I agree entirely with your statement about the Morrowind decorated cuirass and it looking like the stuff worn by nobility and high ranking officers.

The Legion light armour (Skyrim) looks a lot like the ring mail armours worn by Legionnaires on campaign. The skirt is a bit longer and they don't have the capri-style trousers

Early Empire Roman Soldier
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Nephtys/Romans/Roman_Legionary_Early_Empire.jpg

The light armour it self in skyrim looks very much like this soldiers kit, the Skyrim helmet is completely fabricated more based on artists impressions of Roman's than the actual gear worn. Of course there is artistic liberty taken with the Skyrim armour but that's the whole point, its a fantasy RPG not Rome Total war.

I am by no means an expert, but I love military history including the Roman Legions. I read as much as I can, and collect books on the subject. Again, doesn't make me an expert just a history enthusiast.

A Phalanx looks nothing like a http://images.tradekool.com/145711800/Flange-Flat-Flange-Tread-Flange-Slip-on-Flange.jpg.

If you meant "muddle", then I applaud you for a very clever and ironic statement, albeit slightly misspelled. Certainly a simple typographical error.
If you meant "model", then you're just a crappy speller.

Hell, where are capes, in general?

Well, I'd consider kilts to be more Gaelic than Celtic. How many Swiss do you see wearing kilts?

I thought it was a "I want my capes back!" thread....

Aren't you just the nicest person on this forum ever

It would be `modelled.`

Not really. You used a short spear which you threw into the enemy's shield, to drag it down. You advanced in formation with massive shields locked, then you stabbed with a gladius between the gaps. That's what I heard anyway. (Edit: matteo78 also says this on page 3)

Probably most people realized "imperial legion" = influenced by the Romans as soon as they saw them, not trying to be a di*k ...

Which is why he said Falange (Also spelled Phalange), instead of Flange. Also, that word has many meanings (Phalanges are also the name of the bones that make up the fingers, and Flanges are also the extrusions on the head of a mace.

You try being dead for 5000 years and see what that does for your body length and mass.

Why are people talking about Romans wearing trousers?

Because of Vivec