Fully illustrated, this book investigates the articulated plate armour
worn by Roman legionaries.
First named by Renaissance historians studying the reliefs on Trajan's
Column, lorica segmentata evaded successful attempts to reconstruct it
until a series of important archaeological finds in the 20th century
revealed how it worked and the truth of its extended chronology. The
earliest finds date from the late 1st century BC, and its discovery at
Kalkriese in Germany shows how rapidly it was adopted. At the same time,
discoveries in Spain and Britain showed that, despite its apparent
fragility, it continued in use into the 4th century AD.
The spectacular find of six halves of cuirasses in a chest at Corbridge
in 1964 has now been matched by the rare discovery of a complete set of
this armour at Kalkriese. The Corbridge find provided the context to
interpret and reconstruct earlier finds. There is now years of
experience gleaned from reenactors over the practical strengths and
weaknesses of this form of armour. At the same time, scientific analysis
has provided insights into the technology behind this revolutionary form
of armour so characteristic of the Roman Army. Featuring specially
commissioned artwork and drawing upon the latest findings, this study
lifts the veil on the formidable plate armour used by the legionaries of
Imperial Rome.
