I.a military cloak, soldier's cloak.
I. In gen. (very rare; cf.: “sagum, trabea): cognito super umeros fratris paludamento sponsi, quod ipsa confecerat,” Liv. 1, 26; Sall. Fragm. ap. Non. 539, 3.—
II. In partic., a general's cloak (freq.): “paludamenta (sunt) insignia atque ornamenta militaria ... quae propterea, quod conspiciuntur qui ea habent, ac fiunt palam, paludamenta dicta,” Varr. L. L. 7, § 37 Müll.; cf.: “omnia militaria ornamenta paludamenta dici (ait Veranius),” Fest. p. 253 Müll.; Liv. 9, 5: “paludamento circum laevum bracchium intorto,” id. 25, 16 fin.: “coccum imperatoriis dicatum paludamentis,” Plin. 22, 2, 3, § 3; “Vall. Max. 1, 6, 11: indutus aureo paludamento,” Aur. Vict. Epit. 3. Agrippina, the mother of Nero, wore a paludamentum of cloth of gold at the naval combat exhibited by the emperor Claudius, Plin. 33, 3, 19, § 63 (acc. to Tac. A. 12, 56: ipse, Claudius, insigni paludamento neque procul Agrippina chlamyde auratā praesidere).—Ut illi, quibus erat moris paludamento mutare praetextam, i. e., to exchange civil administration for military command, Plin. Pan. 56, 4; cf.: togam paludamento mutavit, i. e. peace for war, Sall. Fragm. ap. Isid. Orig. 19, 24.
