EQUIPMENT
Typical Legionary Equipment
Regular soldiers were outfitted with a:
- loin cloth (subligar or subligaculum)
- tunic (tunica)
- cummerbund (fascia ventralis): It was worn over the tunic but beneath the waist belt.
- belt (balteus): It consisted of separate belts for the pugio and gladius with a leather apron that hung down in front. The alternative was a single aproned belt for the pugio and a baldric for the gladius.
- arming shirt (subarmalis)
- scarf (focale): To protect the neck against chaffing from armour.
- leather trousers (bracae): They were typically worn by standard bearers.
- hobnailed sandals (caligae)
- cloak (sagum, which was a heavy cold weather cloak, or a paenula)
Armour included:
- a helmet (cassis)
- body armour (lorica segmentata, hamata , plumata or squamata)
- arm guard (manica)
- shin guards/greaves (ocreae)
Armaments consisted of a:
- sword (gladius)
- dagger (pugio)
- two javelins (pila)
- shield (scutum)
Other gear included a:
- combination axe/pick (dolabra): This implement was employed to dig trenches, chop wood, etc.
- palisade stakes (sudis also known as a vallus): These were used to secure the perimeter of marching camps (typically two per soldier).
- pole for carrying equipment (furca) while on the march.
- sachel/carrying bag (loculus)
Miscellaneous Items:
- rope or leather: To transport turfs used to build a vallum.
- saw/turf cutter/sickle: To cut turfs for vallum
- wicker basket: To reposition earth during fossa
- canteen
- cooking utensils
- toilet sponge on a stick (xylospongiumor tersorium): Found in latrines they were the precursor of toilet paper.