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History
Roman armor was originally designed to emulate the Greek fashion of the time: greaves, helmet and breastplate made of bronze of the Greek hoplite. That armor, however, was less useful against the rough terrain and wily opponents that the Romans faced, and so in the 4th century BCE, after the sack of Rome by the Gauls, the Roman army began to change its armament and tactics, including its armor.
Significance
Roman armor began with a helmet; the Roman helmet was a bowl-shaped headpiece with hinged cheek guards and a flared piece of metal in the back. The cheek guards deflected all but the most determined blows to the face. Over the forehead was a ridge of metal, usually bronze or steel, that deflected similar downward strokes. The flare in the rear of the helmet was to protect the back of the legionary's neck. It was not unusual for Roman soldiers to carve their names into their helmets and the fittings on helmets allowed for regimental and rank adornment.
Function
Roman body armor came in three varieties of increasing levels of protection; chain mail, scale mail and segmented or "banded" mail. Chain mail was introduced after the early reforms and lasted until about the 1st or 2nd century BCE. Chain mail is, as the name implies, a protective suit made of interlocking chain links that provided protection from piercing and slashing. These chain links were usually sewn onto a leather or linen backing both to pad the armor and to add some extra cushion to absorb blows.
Time Frame
Scale male is made to look like the scales of a fish or reptile; overlapping scales of bronze or iron were sewn onto a padded linen or thick leather frame (tunic). This kind of armor was an improvement over the chain mail in that the scales were sturdier and were more easily replaced if damaged or lost. Blows to scale armor also diffused the energy of a blow much more effectively than chain mail. This kind of armor was adapted around the 1st century BCE and used for most of the Roman Empire's history.
Features
Segmented or "banded" mail was a semi-rigid suit of armor that used horizontal bands of iron over a leather frame. This kind of armor was much heavier than the other types but offered superior protection, especially compared to the chain mail of earlier years. The bands became vertical when protecting the shoulders. The armor was slightly hinged on the sides to afford mobility and were tied with leather strings on the front. It was relatively costly to produce and was heavier for the Roman legionaries to wear, and so was used extensively only from about the 1st century to the 3rd century BCE.
Size
The legs and arms of Roman legions were also protected by armor. Greaves--large plates to protect the thighs and shins that were buckled or tied into place--were used very early on, but slowly fell out of fashion throughout the Republic and early Imperial period. Armor for the arms, however, remained in use and was usually segmented to provide protection and mobility. These armors were usually made of bronze or iron.