Lorica Segmentata

What was the Roman Lorica Segmentata?

The lorica segmentata was a type of Roman legionary armor that was popular during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. It was made from strips, or segments, of iron or steel that were curved to conform to the shape of the legionary’s body, and protected their upper torso (front and back), as well as the tops of the shoulders.

Roman legionaries wearing the lorica segmentata armor

The lorica segmentata was effective in protecting the wearer from enemy swords, spears and certain projectiles used during this period of history. Not only this, but seeing a large line of Roman legionaries wearing shiny protective armor would have been an extremely intimidating sight for opponents, which had the effect of helping to deal a blow to the enemy combatant’s morale, even before the fighting began.

The metal strips were connected with leather or metal bands and overlaid with bronze or brass decoration. The entire piece was fastened at the front and back with leather straps to keep it secure and prevent it from coming loose during battle, and the design allowed for flexibility and mobility, which was essential for soldiers participating in hand-to-hand combat.

A subarmilis (a type of padded garment) was worn underneath the lorica segmentata to cushion against the impact of enemy blows, and also to protect the wearer from uncomfortable chafing from the metal plates and fixtures.

The thickness of the metal plates and the type of metal used (iron or steel) had a big impact upon the overall weight, but a typical lorica segmentata would have weighed between 20-30 lbs (9-13.5 kg).

Why was it called the Lorica Segmentata... or was it?

The name "lorica segmentata" translates to "segmented cuirass" in Latin, literally meaning breastplate and backplate armor that is fastened together and is in segments!

However, this name was given by scholars writing in the 1500s, and historians do not know by what name the ancient Romans actually referred to this iconic piece of protective armor.

Did the Romans Invent the Lorica Segmentata?

Just like numerous other ideas - such as shipbuilding - the Romans took note of what other peoples and civilizations were doing, and adopted and improved upon these to benefit themselves.

The lorica segmentata is no different. Originally used in some form by the Parthians, and possibly other civilizations in the region, the exact date of when the Romans began using an early version of the lorica segmentata for their own troops is unknown.

We do know, however, that the three Roman legions that were annihilated at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD were wearing the lorica segmentata armor, so it must have been introduced sometime before this date.

Who Wore the Lorica Segmentata?

Just like its name, we cannot definitely say who did, and who did not, wear the lorica segmentata. Despite it becoming - along with the gladius sword and the scutum shield - one of the most iconic features of how we imagine a Roman legionary soldier to look, there is some doubt about whether all legionaries across the entire Roman empire wore the lorica segmentata for each and every battle, and whether other classes of troops such as auxila wore it also.

A lot of what we know about Roman armor is based on visual representations carved on monuments dedicated to military victories, such as Trajan’s Column in Rome, which commemorates the emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. Some historians believe that these images are not an accurate representation of the realities of Roman military warfare.

In his work Lorica Segmentata Volume I: A Handbook of Articulated Roman Plate Armour, M. C. Bishop states that:

Representational evidence for lorica segmentata is not abundant and what does exist is not very reliable, by and large. Part of the problem lies in the heavy reliance that has to be placed upon metropolitan propaganda monuments...

[Trajan's Column] is deceptive and its attention to detail should not be mistaken for accuracy: mistakes like segmental plates sculpted to resemble the texture of mail should counsel caution against investing too much trust in it, and it is probably safest to interpret the Column reliefs as ‘impressions’, rather than accurate representations, of the sort of segmental armour the sculptors would have seen in Rome.

Disadvantages and Falling Out of Use

Despite its effectiveness, and the fact that its impressive visual appearance could assist in sowing the seeds of doubt in the minds of an enemy, the lorica segmentata did have some disadvantages.

Because of these, it never really replaced the chainmail (Lorica Hamata) and scale armor (Lorica Squamata) with regards to widespread use, or longevity in terms of the years in which Roman soldiers wore them over the centuries of first the Republic, and then the Imperial, periods.

Time and Money

One disadvantage was that it was expensive and time-consuming to make, making it difficult to produce in sufficient quantities if their was suddenly an urgent need for the recruiting of more soldiers (e.g. a lot had died in battle and needed to be replaced to bring the legion numbers back up to full strength), or to replace pieces from surviving soldiers that were damaged beyond repair.

During the rampant inflation and financial difficulties that plagued the empire around the 3rd century AD (and beyond), producing uniform, high quality armor in large quantities became a difficult challenge.

Weak Points

The subject of repair also leads on to the second disadvantage, which was that the lorica segmentata had a number of potential points of failure, specifically the fixtures that held the pieces of metal, and also the front and back sections, together and in place.

The lorica segmentata depended on hinges, hooks and leather straps to keep everything in place, which could obviously be damaged during battle, or simply corrode over time if not maintained properly.

Indeed, the numerous archaeological finds of buckles and other metal fixtures associated with the lorica segmentata armor by themselves in the ground appears to back up this point that these pieces could, and did, fail.

If this were to happen in battle, it would have left part of the legionary’s body exposed to potential attack.

Related Page: Roman Armor for Sale

Did you know...
The equipment to the legionaries was remarkably uniform throughout the empire and it is possible that there were large centres in Gaul and North Italy for the mass manufacture of helmets, armor and weapons.

Did you know...
Maniple is Latin for "Handful". An army unit composed of two 80 man Centuria. Three Maniples were usually joined to form a Cohort of six Centuries. The Maniple unit fell out of favor with the reforms of Marius in 106BC and the Cohort unit came into wider use. Legions composed of 10 Cohorts instead of 30 Maniples became the standard into the Imperial Period.

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