Roman Armor

[worlddomination88]

In the imperial Roman time they are shown allot with armor worn like shoulder pads on football player it looks like and had strips of metal horizontally covering the chest and back. I thaught this was historically correct but I dont see in EB I just see chain mail. Why ?

[Hax]

*cracked up*

Oh man, this is awesome.

[Megas Pyrrhos]

Wow. I couldn't count how many threads there are about lorica segmentata, and still have time for a battle today.

[CaesarAugustus]

At least he didn't say the forbidden LS word...

[Foot]

This is a good thread. Lets see how it runs.

Foot

[zzrowgraff]

lorica segmentata's {spoken with fake Texas accent}

[cmacq]

Just when you thought it was safe...



the sharks begin to circle...



but don't worry they eat...



only after the meat, is in the water.



Beware, of the Crazy Tejonos.

[Atilius]

In the imperial Roman time they are shown allot with armor worn like shoulder pads on football player it looks like and had strips of metal horizontally covering the chest and back. I thaught this was historically correct but I dont see in EB I just see chain mail. Why ?

This armor type may have come into use only in the last decade of the EB timeframe. It certainly was not used extensively at that time.

[worlddomination88]

I see makes since the only thing I have sean was movies for reference wich obviously isn't accurate so ya thought id ask thanks.

[Hax]

It's not you, worlddomination (love yer name), it's just that we get so many of these threads.

Actually, we haven't had one for 2 months, and this was the first. Good, I was starting to get worried.

[worlddomination88]

No big deal thanks I took no offense just laughed I realize im not knowledgeable in history thow I really instead now that I got time to read actually and stuff.
But ya thanks.

[Mouzafphaerre]

It's not you, worlddomination (love yer name), it's just that we get so many of these threads.

Actually, we haven't had one for 2 months, and this was the first. Good, I was starting to get worried.

.
You missed the monthly LS thread?
.

[Hax]

Ouch, good one.

[TWFanatic]

It's not a joke, he's serious. There was a thread titled: "The Monthly LS thread".

[Spartan198]

Wow. I couldn't count how many threads there are about lorica segmentata, and still have time for a battle today.

It's all Hollywood's fault. Though the segmentata is undoubtably cool,they never seem to bother with the historicity of its use. Just wait until the next big Roman war movie comes out,and marvel at the (possible) rediculousness of early Roman hoplites or triarii wearing lorica segmentata and gallic helmets,throwing their equally-out-of-place pila at Leonidas and his 300 Spartans at the "battle of Marathon".

Well,wait a minute... Knowing my bizarre taste in movies (I seem to like everything that flops in the box office,and hate nearly everything that doesn't),I'd probably enjoy that,too.

Please don't throw a pilum at me... (ducking beneath desk)

[Mouzafphaerre]

.

It's all Hollywood's fault.

Apparently you've never seen Arabic movies/series depicting 7th C. AD Eastern Roman military clad in LS and red cloaks.
.

[Centurion Crastinus]

.

Apparently you've never seen Arabic movies/series depicting 7th C. AD Eastern Roman military clad in LS and red cloaks.
.

What did 7th century Byzantine soldiers wear anyway? Spearman with swords and a round shield?

[beatoangelico]

afaik in 7th century most ERE army was a mercenary/foederati one, and the few "true" roman foot troops probably had still chainmail, round shields and some kind of spatha or spear. This until the creation of the themes. But I could be completely wrong

[Watchman]

Spatha, spear and oval shield was the norm AFAIK. Maybe some throwing-spears in the mix too, but I understand that'd have been uncommon. Body armour, when worn (and a fair few infantry in particular didn't), was the usual gamut of scale, mail and lamellar - segmentata pretty much went extinct already in the troubled 4th century or so.

The thematic reorganisation AFAIK didn't particularly change the basic armament setup, just the organisation principles and suchlike.

[worlddomination88]

I hear when you see in movies the romans always weiring red was also false becaus of the expense it took for the dye. Some people somewhere on these forums were talking about that.I thought it was interesting how Hollywood really doesn't seam to put any effort into authenticity

[Watchman]

In all fairness, they are in the business of making fantasy rather than documentaries. But I'll give you one often wishes they'd put a little more effort into the homework.

Then again, in good old days you had Spartacus fighting legionaries in leather segmentata...

[machinor]

AFAIK Red was one of the cheapest dyes if not THE cheapest, so it was quite common. Also, some dug-out rags of Roman clothing found somewhere in Germany (Mainz or Köln most likely) together with imperial time equipment (weapons, belt, imperial gallic style helmet) suggested that Red was a common color for Roman legionaire clothing.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Actually, they just wear a Greek Spola, I think. In any case they did do their homework, most of the stuff we have now was found after 1970 and those films were in the 50's-60's, the bits they do get right are pretty exacting, such as the Imperial Italic helmets.

[cmacq]

Red may have something to do with the dress and desire of Aries, or was that Mars, as well as the internation colours of Necormongers United and all those born and bred to war?

[Watchman]

I think it was just an easily aquired due and hence cheap. Blue was another similarly popular one - it was more or less pure chance the Puritans' New Model Army ended up with red coats.

[cmacq]

Just like the Black Hessians?

[Constantius I]

How accurate is the HBO/BBC series ROME? I know it is fiction and highly entertaining (I recommend to anyone here) but how accurate were the roman soldiers uniforms portrayed?

[machinor]

I think they were quite accurate. The helmets looked a bit odd, like a Montefortino-attic(?)-mix. The shields were too rectangular and too "flat", I think; they also looked a bit small. Not sure about the size, though.

[Centurion Crastinus]

How accurate is the HBO/BBC series ROME? I know it is fiction and highly entertaining (I recommend to anyone here) but how accurate were the roman soldiers uniforms portrayed?

The gladius was pretty goofy looking in certain episodes. They looked way to narrow in certain episodes.

[Hax]

How accurate is the HBO/BBC series ROME? I know it is fiction and highly entertaining (I recommend to anyone here) but how accurate were the roman soldiers uniforms portrayed?

Well, it's way more historically accurate than some other series, and personally, I don't really mind. Only a small percentage is interested in complete historical accuracy, but HBO needs to entertain the other huge percentage of the viewers.

Well, their armour is pretty historically accurate, IIRC.