Is it plausible to depict the Segmentata using armor upgrades?

[Ludens]

It depends on the unit, or branch of service. If you belong to a rabble, an undisciplined group of wannabes who just signed up for the benefits, then I would agree with you. But if you join an organization that takes its job seriously, and doesn’t tolerate laziness or sloth, then you’re dead wrong. My experience in the Marine Corps taught me that if squad leaders were not omnipotent, then they were pretty darn close. Of course, you always have that 10%, as we used to say, but those guys were always pulling the shite details, so to speak. I would like to think that the Legionaries constituted the more disciplined classification, but that’s just my opinion, and couldn’t be proven or disproven without traveling back in time.....

The marines are something of an elite unit, while your average legionary was just a salaried grunt, so I am not sure if they are comparable. For example, in "In the Name of Rome", Goldsworthy writes that when Corbulo was preparing for his Armenian campaign, he found that some of his legionaries had actually sold their armour. That does not speak of a high regard for their equipment. IIRC the Eastern provinces were considered as easy spots, so this may not be representative. But the degree of combat readiness probably varied over time and space.

[antisocialmunky]

The marines are something of an elite unit, while your average legionary was just a salaried grunt, so I am not sure if they are comparable. For example, in "In the Name of Rome", Goldsworthy writes that when Corbulo was preparing for his Armenian campaign, he found that some of his legionaries had actually sold their armour. That does not speak of a high regard for their equipment. IIRC the Eastern provinces were considered as easy spots, so this may not be representative. But the degree of combat readiness probably varied over time and space.

That's not too different from what happened in the Chechnyan war where there were instances of Russian troops selling weapons and armor to the enemy for food.

And the armor thing reminds me of the Battle of Adrianople where some of the legionaires elected to go into battle without their armor thinking it would be an easy win.

[ljperreira]

For example, in "In the Name of Rome", Goldsworthy writes that when Corbulo was preparing for his Armenian campaign, he found that some of his legionaries had actually sold their armour. That does not speak of a high regard for their equipment. IIRC the Eastern provinces were considered as easy spots, so this may not be representative. But the degree of combat readiness probably varied over time and space.

I applaud you’re use of references. I have Goldworthy's "The Complete Roman Army", but I haven’t read "In the Name of Rome". I’ve read the review and now this book is next on my reading list.

The Legionaries selling their armor is funny to me. It reminds me of the movie "Heartbreak Ridge" where Stitch Jones sells his Kevlar helmet (or loses it, I cant remember) and shows up with an old steel pot helmet. I can only imagine what type of trouble those Legionaries got into when Corbulo found out.....

A thought struck me today as I took a lunch break at work. There are many monuments, carvings, what not that show the Lorica Segmentata, such as Trajan's Column (of course). I agree that the Legionaries were probably all portrayed with the Segmentata so that the non-military civilian type can tell the difference between Legionary and Auxilia units. But herein lies the key.....the common populace must have known what a Segmentata was, in order for them to be able to recognize the Legionary wearing it. Sort of like today when an Armored car company paints a knight in armor on the side of the truck. It is recognizable enough for even those who haven’t seen real medieval armor to appreciate its meaning. An armor that was not worn, or unpopular, would not have garnered so much respect....anyways, its just a thought.

Once again, I don’t believe the Segmentata should be included into the campaign mode of EBII. But, with this being said, I wish I knew how to mod my own game (not enough time and too lazy to learn ). Why has nobody made a game for Rome from, say, 20 AD-220 AD? With the wars in Germania, the invasion of Britain, and so on, I think this would be fun to do. Yes, this is a bit off topic, but would cure EB's Segmentata woes.....

[Ludens]

I applaud you’re use of references. I have Goldworthy's "The Complete Roman Army", but I haven’t read "In the Name of Rome". I’ve read the review and now this book is next on my reading list.

Well, it's more popular history than real history, but I found it a good introduction to the subject.

An armor that was not worn, or unpopular, would not have garnered so much respect....anyways, its just a thought.

Absolutely. It must have been associated with legionaries, and uniquely with legionaries, for it to be displayed as such. But that doesn't really tell us much. For all we know, LS was the preferred armour on the parade ground, but was only used for specialized duty on the battlefield.

Why has nobody made a game for Rome from, say, 20 AD-220 AD? With the wars in Germania, the invasion of Britain, and so on, I think this would be fun to do.

Because it falls between the two most exciting periods of Rome's history? That said, didn't Roma Surrectum or Res Bellicae cover this period?

Don't worry about the LS. Someone will make an unofficial submod for it soon enough.