Dr. Francis McIntosh

And obviously we're in a period where technology and things have changed a lot.

But the soldiers, you know, who first went there in 122, how different their life might have been to those who were there in 380.

And it's a huge change in it.

So we should expect it's a complicated situation and that the guys in 380 wouldn't have recognised what it was like or, you know, maybe they thought they had it better or worse.

You know, there's always going to be complaints, aren't there?

So, you know, this is traditional, isn't it?

If you sort of ask most people to picture a Roman soldier or Google it, often you see what is a Mediterranean, Central Mediterranean legionary soldier.

So he's got that sort of leather skirt, hasn't he?

He's got those sandals, might be laced all the way up to his knees.

Yeah, no socks, red tunic, you know, bare arms, bare legs.

You know, that's not what we're seeing here.

The Romans...

were not stupid.

The army was not stupid.

They knew they needed to keep their soldiers appropriately clothed.

There would have been the equivalent of sort of leg coverings.

I don't know if we probably can call them trousers.

They would have worn socks, we know that.

You know, one of the Linda Lander tablets that's famous is asking for socks, isn't it?

One of the exports from Britain was the biris britannicus, a woolen hooded cloak.