Talk:Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus

Inaccurate description
From the text: " Along with the other two infantrymen depicted in the first and second scenes, the scene recalls the existence of four classes of mobalisable infantry (pedites) and a class of cavalry formed from the aristocracy".

This is not accurate, if the relief dates from after the Marian reforms in 107BC, then the statement is definitely wrong, because the infantry classes had been abolished. If it dates from before this, the statement is inaccurate because although the four classes of infantry existed, the soldiers on the relief are all equipped identically. They all have long scuta shields and wear mailshirts. While the Triarii, Hastati and Principes all had this type of equipment the last class, the Velites, did not. The Velites, as light skirmishing troops, did not wear armour, also they had small round 'parma' shields, not long scuta; they also wore animal scalps over their helmets. The depictions of soldiers on the relief, therefore, cannot reflect the class system of troop types in the Roman army. Urselius (talk) 11:19, 2 October 2019 (UTC)