Roman Armor
GaleaThe galea was the helmet worn by Roman legionaries. There were a few varieties of this helmet, with the most common and known being the Imperial Gallic helmet. The helmet featured large cheek pieces and a frontal ridge to protect the face, along with a large protruding ridge in the rear to protect the neck.
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ScutumThe scutum was the iconic large Roman shield. The shield was made of made of thin sheets of wood, glued together and bound around the edges with iron or bronze. On the inside of the shield was a handgrip. The outside of the shield was covered in leather and decorated in accordance with each cohort. The outside also featured an umbo, which was the central boss or knob of the shield. The shield would be made large enough to cover the body of the bearer, and was curved to fit the body.
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Lorica HamataThe lorica hamata was a type of mail armor used by the Romans throughout their history. It was made up of small iron rings fastened together in overlapping patterns, extended to about mid-thigh of the wearer, and was later attached to leather plates for a better fit. The manufacture of this mail was very labor intensive, but provided good protection against both cutting and piercing weapons.
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Lorica SegmentataThe lorica segmentata, most likely just referred to as lorica by the Romans, was a style of plate armor. Made from iron, this plate armor featured large sheets of metal bound together, but only covered the shoulders and torso of the soldier. While the armor was more vulnerable to slashing attacks than mail armor, it was much more flexible and offered better protection against smashing and missile attacks. This type of armor is most likely what comes to mind when people think of Roman legionaries, but was only used for a short period of time.
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Lorica SquamataLorica squamata was a type of scale armor used by Romans, starting sometime in the late second century CE, and continued to be used for an extensive period along with lorica hamata. Made from both iron and bronze, scale armor was made by attaching small metal sheets together by wires or rivets, and sewing it on to a cloth. The metal sheets were positioned in overlapping rows. While offering less protection than mail or plate armor, it was easier and less expensive to make.
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