Roman Light Infantryman, later 1st/2nd Century AD

 

This is the Light Infantryman, later 1st/2nd Cent. AD (i.e Century) that first appeared in the Miniature Figurines 72/73 catalogue as PB 118. I have added 'Roman' to the title for clarification - Minifigs took it for granted that we already knew. 

Both PB ranges were based on Phil Barker's books Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars and The Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome. This figure is taken from illustration 18 in the first edition of AEIR.

The code numbers for the AEIR range correspond to the illustrations in the book plus '100', i.e. illustration 1 is figure 101, and so on.

The base is stamped PB 118 on the upper surface in the usual manner.

The figure is obviously based on the auxiliary infantry on Trajan's column, although the interpretation of Auxiliaries as 'light infantry' is certainly incorrect. Roman statuary was painted and mail armour represented in this way rather than carved. The prototype of our man would likely have worn mail or scale armour and not the fabled 'leather jerkin' beloved of film and TV.

I've always had a particular horror of this pose. What is he doing exactly. Whatever it is, he is certainly doing it very vigorously. Units of these chaps do appear to be engaged in some kind of synchronised balletic routine. One thing in its favour: it converts very nicely into a slinger.