Weapons as a luxury ware?

[Baba Hotep]

For what i know, military was greatly important for Romans, mainly the elite, so i was thinking:what about making weapons, and possibly armor, as a luxury household ware?

[Christbowel]

Yep interesting idea, considering the importance of the militar domain for the Republic, and even more -for sure- for the Empire... it would be an idea.

PS : Seeing all the idea posted on the forum, this is fantastic; this game wanted since many time, withouth knowing that TM was making it... and the 18th August was THE day

Let's not forget that ( I know we can't forget unfortunately) that we are at one year from the release; and its one year for the TM team to make new stuff, and a very great game.

I already told it, the screen are so cool, that we could think its a finished game

[Baba Hotep]

Then, what could be the raw matreials for weapons and armor? Supposing that it works like CotN, with the exchange stuff, they surely would be able to buy iron from the government.

[Keith]

Weapons as a luxury ware was more in line with ancient Greece.

Most Roman soldiers had their own weapons and equipment that they paid for. That was less true for the Greek hoplites and weapons were harder to come by. Naturally the wealthier Romans had fancier weapons and armor, but for the most part weapons were generally available to common legionary.

[Baba Hotep]

Originally Posted by Keith

Weapons as a luxury ware was more in line with ancient Greece.

Most Roman soldiers had their own weapons and equipment that they paid for. That was less true for the Greek hoplites and weapons were harder to come by. Naturally the wealthier Romans had fancier weapons and armor, but for the most part weapons were generally available to common legionary.

So the weaponsmith could be a private citizen! He would gather low-quality raw materials, and buy say iron at the exchange, so they can gain more money selling the best weapons for the soldiers, who will pay more.

[Adonisgi]

Originally Posted by Keith

Naturally the wealthier Romans had fancier weapons and armor...

I think this is exactly why he suggested weapons as a luxury ware for patrician households.

[prof786]

i'm assuming that these weapons would be for the patrician's guardsmen for them rich folks are silly lazy.

[EmperorJay]

I do think that it was not uncommon for any Roman to carry a dagger, at times, for protection. However, I must admit that I've never really read anything about how the Romans thought about carrying weapons and all.

Still, I think that weaponry should be for soldiers only and that the distinctinion between a legionary's equipment and a general's should be limited to how fancy they look.

[prof786]

now for sure, patrician houses should have guardsmen for weapons. and so should the governor's residence and other government buildings.

[Thucydides]

This is a good idea, and perhaps the basis of a militia in the case of an invasion? Iron swords could take several hundred hours of labour to forge, and many tonnes of charcoal. And fancy gilt decorations of the hilt more time on top of that, which would have made swords either a luxury item or an expenditure that you did not make unless your life depended upon it. Same with armour. Daggers clearly would have been more affordable and I think it is reasonable to assume that many poorer people would have satisfied themselves with staffs and knifes as weapons of necessity. I don't know about the economics of bows.

[wodinoneeye]

Originally Posted by Baba Hotep

For what i know, military was greatly important for Romans, mainly the elite, so i was thinking:what about making weapons, and possibly armor, as a luxury household ware?

Most of the legionaires were farmboys, so the majority of weapons went to the lower class. When men left the legions, they took their arms and armor with them. Better/enhanced equiptment could be accumulated in a legionaires career. Such equiptment could be inherited.

Daggers and clubs were common in the cities (even within Rome where weapons within the boundry were forbidden). The city police/firewatch (the Vigils) carried clubs.


The middle class (Equestrians) had to supply their own horses and tack.

The rich no doubt bought their own better quality equiptment.

[wodinoneeye]

Originally Posted by Baba Hotep

So the weaponsmith could be a private citizen! He would gather low-quality raw materials, and buy say iron at the exchange, so they can gain more money selling the best weapons for the soldiers, who will pay more.

Iron was fairly common in Rome. The weapon maker would buy it from a Iron dealer. At one point merchants were selling iron stove grates as ordinary consumer goods that had been made in India.

Rome was much more commercially oriented (contracts to businessmen to get materials/manufactured items), so TM better come up with a different mechanism than a simple shared supply pile as seen in CotN.

[wodinoneeye]

Originally Posted by prof786

i'm assuming that these weapons would be for the patrician's guardsmen for them rich folks are silly lazy.

Bodyguards. Citizens werent allowed to have private armies.

[vic_4]

Only high magistrates had lictores who escorted them as an indication of their position.