Cingulum, Roman military belt, late 1st-early 2nd century AD
Although we often forget it, one of the fundamental parts of Roman military equipment was the belt, the cingulum. As a symbol, it was far more important than any gladius, shield, or pilum: it represented the honor of the Roman legionary.
One of the greatest disgraces in the Roman military world, in fact, was to deprive a legionary of his belt, even cutting it off, as a mark of infamy.
In our imagination, the Roman legionary’s belt is covered with metal plates and pendants. In reality, we know well that this element of Roman soldiery evolved over time, just like the rest of their equipment.
We reconstructed this Roman military belt thanks to the direct consultation of archaeologist Stefanie Hoss, author of the monumental work “Cingulum Militare: Studien zum römischen Soldatengürtel des 1. bis 3. Jh. n. Chr.”
Thanks to the available finds, we know that between the end of the 1st century AD and the beginning of the 2nd century AD, a new fashion for Roman military belts spread, with the adoption of enameled plaques. This trend would last for almost the entire 2nd century AD, at least until the Hadrianic period and beyond. Typically, there were three plaques on the belt, plus a fourth that housed the buckle, also decorated with enamel.
The belt tip, a simple pelta shaped plaque, recalls designs widely attested in the Roman imperial period. The pelta is a highly characteristic decorative form of the imperial period.
The leather part of the belt, based on finds from various periods of the Roman Imperial era, was reconstructed using thin leather padded with linen and then sewn together.
This belt is ideal for reconstructing a legionary from the late Flavian period, especially during Trajan’s reign. If you’re a historical reenactor reconstructing a legionary from Trajan’s Dacian Wars, this is the perfect belt for you.
