6491 – Roman Tribune

Roman Tribune

Released: 2016

RRP: £2.99

Rating: ★★★★★

Following on from our review of the Three Roman Soldiers set (#6490), which we published back in the summer, we now want to have a look at the Roman Tribune. These sets were released together and are, therefore, designed to complement one another.

The Roman word ‘tribunus‘ derives from ‘tribus‘, which gives us the English ‘tribe’. Originally, the Romans consisted of three tribes and each appointed a representative towards the government of the whole. This developed into a college of tribunes elected to represent the common people, the ‘tribuni plebis‘, and who held a veto against the legislation of the Senate, staffed as it was with members of a few leading families: the patrician class.

It was, incidentally, Julius Caesar’s arrogant handling of two tribuni plebis that proved to be the final straw before his assassination. Someone had decorated his bust with a white headband, a symbol of royalty, which the tribunes had removed. Rome was at this time a republic and resistant to any idea of monarchy. Caesar had the men reprimanded and deposed. It added to the growing evidence of his ambition to be made king.

By then, the term had been appropriated to describe a number of military appointments, the tribuni militum, or ‘tribunes of the soldiers’. These filled a number of ranks between the legatus who commanded the legion, and the centurions in charge of a company called a centuriae and typically comprising eighty men. Our klicky may therefore be considered either the second-in-command (and therefore from the noble patrician class) or a staff officer (and therefore from the wealthy equestrian class).

In this context, the decision to give him a spear, or hasta (p/n 3098580), is a bit odd. This is the same weapon most commonly utilised by Playmobil’s native Americans, but also found occasionally among the knights. It was also employed by the sentry in the Roman Commander’s Tent set (#4273). A thrusting weapon, in contrast to the throwing javelin (pilum), it’s not something I’d expect in an officer’s equipment.

The tribune has the same helmet with anteroposterior slot that equips the centurion and signifer in set #6490 (p/n 30246420). His yellow plume fits neatly to the crest. He has black hair with a round or curly edge to it, and wears a frown, though with a slightly different print from the centurion’s face.

The tribune wears a white tunic. His armour is made up of a dark grey cuirass, red pteruges, studded leather groin strips, and greaves. The cuirass is decorated at the front in a silver-grey colour that is a close (but not exact) match to his helmet and greaves. At the back it goes to just below his shoulder blades. It has a slight quartering to create that sense of moulded pecs and abs. As with the legionary’s in #6490, the tribune’s greaves extend over his feet.

He has a red belt (p/n 30255890) and cloak, matching his pteruges. The belt accommodates a gladius (p/n 30204560) at the left hip; in this position it is out of the way for horse riding but slightly in the way of sitting down. The cloak is made of a pliable material that allows some flexibility on horseback, as the image below shows.

His shield (p/n 30631464) is round with a boss. It is gold in colour and decorated with a decal bearing a golden-yellow motif, of lightning arrows and eagle’s wings, on a red background. The wings match the design on his cuirass, but the colours are very different from the scuta used by other Roman soldiers in the catalogue.

The round shield does, however, facilitate its use riding on a horse. One may justifiably imagine a senior officer on horseback, although the spear may make him look like a lowly cavalryman. In order to juggle spear, shield and reins, you may want to utilise a clip (p/n 30271060) to attach the spear to the shield.

Alternatively, if you choose not to provide your tribune with a mount, you may want to consider getting him a clear stand (p/n 30243590) so that he is the same height as the legionaries he’s commanding.

In conclusion, we really like this klicky. He looks every bit the part of a military leader. The muscle cuirass is particularly attractive, both for the appearance of ripped pecs, and for the beautiful way the grey contrasts with the white tunic. If the spear is a strange choice, it’s really not worth complaining about the addition of extra parts in the set. All he needs now is an army to command.

EMPM