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Paludamentum


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Paludamentum, a military cloak, like that which the Greeks called chlamys.  It was fastened with a fibula or clasp upon the right shoulder, in such a manner as to leave that side uncovered in order to give freedom to the right arm.  This peculiarity gave rise to the occasional application of the term Paludati to warriors in general, although it properly belongs only to the chiefs who won the paludamentum.  This mantle, not so large as the pallium, was easily put on and off, and adapted itself conveniently to service in the field.  When a Roman Emperor or General was on the poin to setting out to take the command of his army, he went first to the capital, and wwas there invested with the paludamentum.  On his return from the expedition, he threw off his war-cloak at the gates, and entered Rome clothed in the toga.  This custom, it appears was so well established, that (according to Suetonius) Vitellius was looked upon as having committed, not only a novel but a tyrannical act, because he entered the city paludatus.

 


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Paludamentum


Please |help| us convert the |Dictionary of Roman Coins| from scans to text by typing the original text here. Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.


Paludamentum, a military cloak, like that which the Greeks called chlamys.  It was fastened with a fibula or clasp upon the right shoulder, in such a manner as to leave that side uncovered in order to give freedom to the right arm.  This peculiarity gave rise to the occasional application of the term Paludati to warriors in general, although it properly belongs only to the chiefs who won the paludamentum.  This mantle, not so large as the pallium, was easily put on and off, and adapted itself conveniently to service in the field.  When a Roman Emperor or General was on the poin to setting out to take the command of his army, he went first to the capital, and wwas there invested with the paludamentum.  On his return from the expedition, he threw off his war-cloak at the gates, and entered Rome clothed in the toga.  This custom, it appears was so well established, that (according to Suetonius) Vitellius was looked upon as having committed, not only a novel but a tyrannical act, because he entered the city paludatus.

 


View whole page from the |Dictionary Of Roman Coins|