The ''lorica squamata'' () is a type of

scale armour Scale armour (or scale mail) is an early form of armour consisting of many individual small armour scales (plates) of various shapes attached to each other and to a backing of cloth or leather in overlapping rows.Roman military The military of ancient Rome, according to Titus Livius, one of the more illustrious historians of Rome over the centuries, was a key element in the rise of Rome over "above seven hundred years" from a small settlement in Latium to the capital o ...

during the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

and at later periods. It was made from small metal scales sewn to a fabric backing. No examples of an entire ''lorica squamata'' have been found, but there have been several archaeological finds of fragments of such shirts and individual scales are quite common finds—even in non-military contexts.

Usage in the Roman army

It is typically seen on depictions of ''

signifer A ''signifer'' () was a standard bearer of the Roman legions. He carried a ''signum'' ( standard) for a cohort or century. Each century had a ''signifer'' so there were 59 in a legion. Within each cohort, the first century's ''signifer'' would ...

es'' (standard bearers), ''

aeneator An ''aeneator'' ( lat, aēneātor or ) was a specialized player of wind instruments who was attached to a Roman military unit. The word comes from Latin ''aēneus'' or ''ahēneus'', "brazen", from ''aes'', "copper alloy". While the size of individ ...

es'',

centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...

s, cavalry troops, and auxiliary infantry, as well as regular

legionaries The Roman legionary (in Latin ''legionarius'', plural ''legionarii'') was a professional heavy infantryman of the Roman army after the Marian reforms. These soldiers would conquer and defend the territories of ancient Rome during the late Republi ...

. On occasion the

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

would even be depicted wearing the ''lorica squamata''. During the Dacian Wars

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

had to re-equip his soldiers wearing ''

lorica segmentata The ''lorica segmentata'' (), also called ''lorica lamminata'' (see Lorica segmentata#Name, §Name), is a type of personal armour that was used by soldiers of the Roman army, consisting of Laminar armor, metal strips fashioned into circular band ...

'' with other forms of armor such as the ''

lorica hamata The ''lorica hamata'' (in Latin with normal elision: ) is a type of mail armor used by soldiers for over 600 years (3rd century BC to 4th century AD) from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. ''Lorica hamata'' comes from the Latin ''hamatus'' ( ...

'' and ''lorica squamata''. It is not known precisely when the Romans adopted the type of armor, but it remained in use for about eight centuries, most prominently in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

Forging

The individual scales, called ''squamae'' were very small scales made of either iron or brass. Occasionally, they would be tinned in white metal. Each scale had a 90° fold and a medial rib. The scales were wired or laced together in horizontal rows that were then laced or sewn to the backing of mail. Rarely, the backing might be mail (''

'') providing two layers of defense at the cost of greater weight and expense.Example of Lorica Hamata Squamata
/ref> The mail under the scales was made of interlocking rings arranged in rows—rings closed by riveting, or a combination of these with solid rings made by punching holes in metal sheets. It is possible that the shirt could be opened either at the back or down one side so that it was easier to put on, the opening being closed by ties. Much has been written about scale armour's supposed vulnerability to an upward thrust, but this may be exaggerated. Since the scales overlapped in every direction, the multiple layers gave good protection. A similar type of armour, in which the scales are laced to each other and need no backing at all, is known as

lamellar armour Lamellar armour is a type of body armour, made from small rectangular plates (scales or ''lamellae'') of iron or steel, leather ( rawhide), or bronze laced into horizontal rows. Lamellar armour was used over a wide range of time periods in Centr ...

, while to confuse the matter there is also

locking scale Locking may refer to: * Locking (computer science) * Locking, Somerset, a village and civil parish in the United Kingdom ** RAF Locking, a former Royal Air Force base ** Locking Castle, a former castle * Brian Locking (born 1938), rock guitari ...

in which the scales are wired together without a backing. It can be difficult to tell which type of armour a single scale might have come from, as the Romans did not necessarily have different terms for each type. The typical scale had a vertical pair of holes at each side near the top, plus one or two holes at the top.

References

External links

{{Commons category
scales of a slightly different type
at

Landesmuseum Mainz The Landesmuseum Mainz, or Mainz State Museum, is a museum of art and history in Mainz, Germany. In March 2010 it reopened in full after an extensive renovation. The museum has its roots in a painting collection donated by Napoleon and Chapta ...

. Ancient Roman legionary equipment Roman armour

Usage in the Roman army

Forging

See also

References

External links