Did the Roman Legions really wear red? Let's explore the truth behind this common assumption!
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In this history documentary we seek to question the common depiction of Roman soldiers wearing red. This version of the legions is present virtually everywhere in media from movies like Gladiator and the Eagle to TV Shows like HBO Rome and Spartacus, games like Rome Total War and Assassin's Creed Origins, comics, reenactments, and more. Its really everywhere to the point that Romans in red just seems like a well established fact. However its often a good idea to question things like this that we take for granted. This documentary episode therefore asks whether or not the Romans really wore red.
To begin the video we start with a look at our remaining historical sources in the form of artistic and written records. We also talk about relevant topics like ancient dye production, the qualities of Tyrian purple, and common cleaning methods. With all this in mind we then review the colors of the Roman Legions during the Roman Monarchy, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire. The end result is that our initial assumptions are largely unsupported by the evidence.
Timestamps:
2:40 - Visual Evidence
4:40 - Written Evidence
7:50 - Colors of the Monarchy and Early Republic
11:40 - Colors of the Mid to Late Republic
15:00 - Colors of the Empire
Sources and Suggested Reading
"Wearing the Cloak: Dressing the Soldier in Roman Times" by Michael Speidel
"The Roman Army at War 100 BC - AD 200" by Adrian Goldsworthy
“The Babatha Papyri, Masada, and Rome” by G. W. Bowersock
Plutarch's Lives, Volume 3
The Histories of Tacitus
#History
#Rome
#FactOrFiction
