ROMAN BELT (BALTEUS) (IR80724)
KEY FEATURES: * Strong durable leather * Solid brass accents * Perfect piece for the collector or reenactor

THE BALTEUS (MILITARY BELT)
The balteus (meaning belt or shoulder strap) was the standard belt worn by the Roman legionary. It was probably used to tuck clothing into or to hold weapons. The plate-covered belt popularly called a cingulum was more likely known as a balteus. In the mid-first Century CE a single belt to support dagger and apron was most common, but the two crossed belts worn in Augustan times still appeared. They were generally covered with ornate cast or stamped plates of tin or bronze. The iconic "hanging strips" apron section added a personal flair to the belt chosen by the soldier and considered more decorative than protective.