Modernized Roman ranks - officers corps: speculation

[Helios88]

The shoulder boards are good. The combination of 2 colors in order to define arm of service is also good. My main objection is with regard to the full color shoulder board. It's my fault here that I've didn't get from the beginning the whole idea.

I've erroneously understood that shoulder boards will have the color of the uniform, i.e. green. In the meantime you did the work. I would rather keep the shoulder board plain green and use the color combinations only for stripes, orbiculi and buttons.

Suggestions:
For protectores domestici: green shoulder board with light blue stripe, golden orbiculus and golden button.
For Artillery Centenarius: green shoulder board with black stripe, golden orbiculi and golden button.
For Frumentarii Ordinarius: Green shoulder boards, dark blue/purple stripe, silver orbiculi and silver button.
For Adiutor of the Classiarii: green shoulder board, red stripes, silver button and silver orbiculus
For Primicerius of the tank units: green shoulder board, black stripes, silver buttons and silver orbiculi
For tribunus of the equites: green shoulder boards, yellow stripe, golden buttons and golden orbiculi
For praefectus legionis: green shoulder board, red stripes, golden orbiculi and golden buttons.

In my view, full colour shoulder boards look to heavy and too "ornamental". The uniform has to be a little more austere and let only a few rank and branch insignia to identify the soldiers.

No problem, we are here to nicely debate, it's not work. :D

I should make the shoulder boards again, now there is an example of your suggestions.

[img]http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr182/Macharius88/Protector%20e%20Centenarius%20duepuntozero_zpsxpfzvgz8.png[/img]

As for the generals, I thins a shoulder board with a large golden braid and red trimming would be enough, with imperial eagles as rank insignias (1 for Dux/Maj.Gen, 2 for Comes rei militaris/Lt. Gen., 3 for Magister militum/ full General, 3 and 2 crossed battons for Magister militum praesentalis/general field marshal.

I'm afraid to not have fully understood what you mean. If you have a sketch or a similar real world example I'd be very grateful.

I'm glad that you abhor the scrambled eggs on the visor cap.

I prefer neat elegance over richness of decorations. :)

I also agree with the italian model for the chinstrap, but I would rather use cap badges as for the other field officers for praefectus legionis. Praefecti legionis don't wear general rank insignia, their rank insignia is of a field officer, so the cap badge insignia should be in line with it. Field rank insignia and general cap badge would make a oxymoron. General cap badge for generals, field officer cap badge for field officers. As for the colors - golden with red trimming for generals, gold for officers, silver for NCOs and burnished for enlisted - would certainly do!

Yes, the praefectus Legions is the most senior field officer. I'll try to use some DeviantArt material firstly designed by YamaLama1986.

I should make the cap band for generals red, like the shoulder board trimming, collar patches and trousers double braid, and for officers, NCOs and enlisted, the color of the shoulder board stripes should coincide with those of the collar patches and cap band.

If I correctly understand, you devise a sort of British cap model, don't you?

For the general collar patch, I would rather follow the german model, but not of the Heeres, but of the Luftwaffe. Of course, without the swastika and with a red background. I think it would be more appropriate for they would keep the idea of crown alive.

Yeah, I fully agree!

The legion, being a brigade, it should be identified by a arm patch, on my opinion. A legionary collar patch would be a little strange, since the collar patch identifies the branch of service rather than the greater unit. It would work if we would choose regimental units, which are one branch-units. But a brigade is a combined arms unit, so a collar barge for it would look a little strange. Plus, it would generate too many colors: color of branch on stripes and cap band, color of brigade on collar patch. Too many colors. I think that the cap band, shoulder board stripes and collar patch should be one color. The brigade/legions individual patches can be put on the sleeves of the jacket (american and british way).

Given the collar patch referring to the branch of service, the Legion should be identified throught a sleeve insignia. This is the easiest part I believe.

[quoe]I've seen 5 buttons jackets in the danish army...I don't know what to say. As I think that a Sam Brown belt would be a great idea , 4 button would look better.
A suggestion for the general patch.[/quote]

[RaduLaur66]

Some suggestion for the generals shoulder boards:

A red trimming for the shoulder boards (as is it for the General Field Marshal) rather than black would better serve our purpose, I believe.

I see this uniform similar to russian or imperial german rather british inspired.