Lorica segmentata

[Augustus_Gaius]

Hey guys, I just found this on the internet "Around the time of Emperor Tiberius (A.D. 14-37), lorica segmentata began to replace the older lorica hamata (mail cuirass) in many legionary formations. This new armor was generally considered to be superior to the lorica hamata because of it's greater flexibility, lighter weight, and its comparative ease to manufacture." on this website: http://www.swordsandarmor.com/lorica-se ... -armor.htm Is this information accurate at all? i always believed the segmentata only came into use during the Dacian wars (as it was more resistant to the falx)?

[Invisible officer]

Is this information accurate at all? i always believed the segmentata only came into use during the Dacian wars (as it was more resistant to the falx)?

The extra armour for the arms is claimed by modern authors to be an addition against the falx. But the lorica segmentata was in use at the time of Tiberius and possibly even before. Some findings from Kalkriese are claimed to be from such armour.

[Augustus_Gaius]

Ahhh thank you very much for the correction! don't know how I've gone this long with that as incorrect :L i just t always assumed that when they say the Armour changed it was from the chain mail to the segmentata, very glad i asked

[nikgaukroger]

Bishop & Coulston in "Roman Military Equipment" (2nd Edition) comment on evidence for the arm armour prior to the Dacian Wars, and this topic on the Roman Army Talk forum covers it with a picture as well - http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat.html?f ... =entrypage

[Augustus_Gaius]

Very interesting to say the least, still in shock that i didn't know segmentata was around i 14+ AD

[Cubster]

I remember seeing a TV programme a few years back about Trajan's column and the Dacian campaign and I think I recall them saying how Roman armourers on that campaign made a few modifications to the standard armour to reinforce it, after seeing the effect of the falx (presumably the morale as well as physical effect). I think the helmet in particular received a reinforced metal strip in answer to the dreaded overhead blow onto the top of the noggin.

[Invisible officer]

It's an old story about the Dacian wars and armour modification. The Adam Klisi monument and the Trajan column are well known pictorial examples for Roman forces but all interpretation is modern. Gladiators used the arm protection long before and there are monuments that seem to predate the Dacian wars and show similar armour worn by soldiers.

You often hear from gaming friends the usual: "I read, I viewed in TV..." But few popular science books or TV productions differentiate between things known from Roman sources and modern reconstruction based on speculations. We have no Roman text source about the "Lorica segmentata", even the word is a post Roman invention.

We know that it existed. But what the Romans thought about the advantage of that type over the lorica hamata is unknown. Chain mail protects the wearer against cutting arms as well as the segment armour. Arrows, spears and thrusts may be deflectet better by segments than rings but it is a little stiff for movement.

Faster production, better protection, cheaper, a lot of things are claimed but we are unable to check this against ancient claims.
Well Sokrates knew that all that we think to know is...... But who wants to end like he did.

[Cubster]

So you don't know then.

[nikgaukroger]

If you want to get into some of the technical details about Roman armour there have been 2 recent books on the subject:

"Roman Imperial Armour: The production of early imperial military armour" by D. Sim and J. Kaminski, and

"Roman Body Armour" by Hilary and John Travis

I have the 2nd and it is, IMO, rather dull and hard going, suspect the first isn't any easier to be honest, but between them I guess they contain a lot of information. Not sure they'll explain why segmentata was adopted and then discarded though, but they do have lots on how the stuff was (probably) made.

[paulsmodellingworkshop]

So you don't know then.

LOL Cubbin my man!

I can see it now ***breaking news*** - the world is in shock! IO doesn't know everything!
Maybe that needs printing and framing!

Sorry Invisible.....couldn't resist what you do know is remarkable.