Paludamentum
The short, red mantle of Ro
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Roman Emperor in Paludamentum. (Maffei.)
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man generals, fastened on the left shoulder and worn over the armour. They assumed
it on the Capitol on their departure to the war, but on their return exchanged it for the
toga, the garb of peace, before entering into the city (Pliny ,
Paneg. 56, 4).
Under the Empire, when the emperor was the commanderin-chief, the purple paludamentum became
exclusively a token of imperial power. It became the usual attire of the emperors in the first
century after Christ (
Claud. 31). Accordingly after that time entrance on
imperial power was termed “assuming the purple” (Eutrop. ix. 8).
