The Romans did not bid on Jesus' robe. According to the Gospel
of John the soldiers who crucified Jesus divided his clothes into
four parts (presumably four soldiers shared the items). They
decided who would have his chiton (tunic or coat) by casting lots
for it because it was woven in one piece and was seamless and they
did not want to tear it. The significance of this for John was that
with this event "the saying in Scripture was fulfilled." John was
referring to Psalm 21:18-19 in the Old Testament which said: "they
divided My raiment among them, and upon My vesture did they cast
lots"
This garment had been variously called the Seamless Robe of
Jesus, the Holy Robe, the Holy Tunic, the Honorable Robe, and the
Chiton of the Lord. According to legend, Helena, the mother of
Constantine the Great, discovered the seamless robe in the Holy
Land in 327 or 328 along with several other relics, including the
True Cross. There was various traditions which claim that the robe
is now preserved in different places: Cathedral of Trier, a church
in Argenteuil (both places are in France) in a cathedral in
Mtskheta, in Georgia, and some pieces of it ended up in the
cathedral at the Winter Palace, and in the Sts. Peter and Paul
Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, the Cathedral of the Dormition in
Moscow, the Sophia Cathedral in Kiev and the Ipatiev monastery in
Russia.
