When did the roman heavy begin?

**swhunter** · 07-31-2007, 01:35

Hi I see all the different types of armour through the years in this modd.
Why not the heavy armour?
Is it because this modd ends at 11 a.d. ?
thks

**Zaknafien** · 07-31-2007, 01:48

Youve answered your own question.

**swhunter** · 07-31-2007, 04:12

Hmmmm Thats a first for me!

So there isnt anyplans to cont. the roman Empire ?
With its heavy armour which is its trademark.
After all alot happened after 11 a.d.
Roman civil wars and expansion and destruction of judia and also the wars
in Briton.
thanks just askin.

**Megas Pyrrhos** · 07-31-2007, 04:20

As I understand it, if by "heavy" armor you might mean the lorica segmentata...it wasn't used until later on, and I dont even believe it was that effective, as it was a bit flimsy...anyways I'm no expert on it or whatever, this is just a mostly useless but hopefully insightful post that brings me to a total of 50 posts

**Larkaan** · 07-31-2007, 04:36

By 11 C.E. most of the civil wars had died down and the Pax Romana was in full swing... the 60s and 70s C.E. saw a spate of civil war and revolt, but the Empire had reached its practical height. There was a bit more expansion, into Britain, Asia Minor, and the Iranian Plateau, but nothing like what Rome accomplished from 272 B.C.E. to the turn of the millenium. Border strifes and the rare revolt were the order of the day after 11 C.E. until the 5th Century C.E., and the time between action would probably make for some rather boring gameplay.

Rome had expanded about as far as it could; its size was limited by the technology of the day, and indeed somewhat past it, as the split into Eastern and Western empires shows in the 4th century C.E.

The Lorica Segmentata, the plate-style armor that you seem to be asking about, wasn't used for anywere near the length of time of the Lorica Hamata, the ring mail seen in the mod; Hamata actually was reintroduced after Segmentata started to get phased out, in the 2nd century C.E.

**geala** · 07-31-2007, 08:40

The segmented armour was used into the 3rd century AD, it was effective and its flimsiness is a bit exaggarated by some authors. If it had not been effective the Romans would not have used it for more than 200 years with constant improvements. There is still a quarrel about how far spread the segmented armour was. It was not used by every legion soldier and probably never by the auxilia. So lorica hamata, squamata and "segmentata" were used at the same time. In/after the near break down of the 3rd AD the segmented armour seemed to have disappeared.

If you are interested in such debates, http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/ would be a good address for example.

Btw the "segmentata" was not "the heavy Roman armour", being lighter as both mail and scale armour of the Romans.

Btw2: I hope EB will never be extended into the time of the Roman empire at the cost of the much more interesting earlier times. (beware: not discussible personal view contained in the last sentence)

**swhunter** · 07-31-2007, 08:41

So how long did it last? From the begining to its end?
Was it 100 b.c. ? to the turn 100 a.d.?
thank you.. sorry you answered fast.!
In these dates what was used ?
Could you decribe the names of these armour ? I understand the Segment. is that plate armour.
thank you.

**MarcusAureliusAntoninus** · 07-31-2007, 08:49

Segmentata was first used sometime between 50BC and AD15, but didn't really start being used until the 'Years of Our Lord'. It seemed to peak around the time of Trajan (AD110), then started tappering off. Expensive and difficult to maintain compared to Lorica Harmata (chainmail), with arguable no/less advantage.

M2TW has a nice feature for reforms, so if you can get CA to increase unit count (at least double) then there is a chance for them in EB2. (Translation: You won't be seeing Lorica Segmentata in EB.)