What was the Roman apron for?

The Roman apron could be two things. A cook could use a piece of cloth tied to his waist to wipe off his hands during the food prep process. The more common use of an apron was that of a Roman soldier. His "apron" was a group of anywhere from one to nine straps which were studded ,had decorative metal terminals, and hung from the front of a man's belt. A Roman soldier's belt was generally decorative and ornate (sometimes he wore two of them). The belt was his status symbol which separated him from the civilians, and a decorative apron was part of it. It served no defensive purpose.