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The legions of the Roman Republic and Empire had a fairly standardised dress and armour, particularly from approximately the early to mid 1st century onward, when Lorica Segmentata (segmented armour) was introduced. [1] However the lack of unified production for the Roman army meant that there were still considerable differences in detail.
The lorica segmentata (Latin pronunciation: [ɫoːˈriːka]), also called lorica lamminata, or banded armour is a type of personal armour that was used by soldiers of the Roman army, consisting of metal strips fashioned into circular bands, fastened to internal leather straps.
Roman scale armour fragment Detail of a fragment. Each plate has six holes and the scales are linked in rows. Only the lower most holes are visible on most scales, while a few show the pair above and the ring fastener passing through them. Lorica squamata was a type of scale armour used during the Roman Republic and at later periods. It was ...
It is unclear if limb armor described by the 6th century author Procopius and in the early 7th century Strategikon refers to such segmented arm armor, as splinted vambraces and greaves are described in the latter text which had come into Roman use well before this time, alongside long-sleeved mail armor. [21]
The toga was considered Rome's "national costume," privileged to Roman citizens but for day-to-day activities most Romans preferred more casual, practical and comfortable clothing; the tunic, in various forms, was the basic garment for all classes, both sexes and most occupations. It was usually made of linen, and was augmented as necessary ...
During the Dacian Wars Trajan had to re-equip his soldiers wearing lorica segmentata with other forms of armor such as the lorica hamata and lorica squamata. [5] It is not known precisely when the Romans adopted the type of armor, [4] but it remained in use for about eight centuries, [4] most prominently in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. [1]
The individual scales used to construct Roman armour are called squamae [5] or squama. [6] During Roman times, scale armour ( lorica squamata ) was a popular alternative to mail ( lorica hamata ) as it offered better protection against blunt force trauma.
Augustan period statue of a Gaulish soldier wearing a Roman lorica hamata. Modern historians believe that mail armor was invented by the Celts. [3] [4] With the idea for this form of mail possibly coming to Rome during conflicts with the Celts in the 3rd century BC, [5] [2] lorica hamata was used by both legionary and auxilia troops. [2]