i dont understand...

[Tellos Athenaios]

That said, most modern tests I’ve seen seem to have confirmed the efficiency of segmented armor. It’s plates (unlike those of later medieval plate armor) were not hardened by forging which allowed the softer metal to absorb a blow, spreading its force. Mail can be pierced by pointed weapons and projectiles and shattered by blunt ones, but segmented cuirasses are far harder to pierce and much better suited to evenly distributing the shock of blows (I use the present tense because I am referring to present-day tests, which very well might be using higher quality iron than was available in Antiquity). The lorica segmentata also appears to be the preferred choice of cuirass amongst rein actors from what I have seen. Perhaps someone who knows more about these events can clarify why.

About piercing weapons; one would always wear some additional layer of clothing/armour underneath the chain mail, or the LS if only for simple reasons of comfort. I guess it hurts: 10000+ metal rings scraping off your skin; or getting your skin stuck between the two of the segements in LS...

As for Re-enactors choosing to stick with LS instead of other forms well; that can be explained by a number of reasons:

1) LS doesn't weigh as much as chain mail;
2) LS can be recreated/faked quite easily; chain mail can't (remember: 10000+ rings...).
3) LS is cheaper (see #2); valid even way back when
4) For some strange reason (a-historical Romans) the public associates the combination "Romans + history" with LS. It's not accurate, given the Romans never took to it the way the Greeks took to the Lineothorax for instance; but yeah ... Also; not like re-enactors give an accurate representation of the armies back then if you interpret the amount of re-enactors posing as soldier type X as how many of them were actually around; I mean: ever seen as many re-enactors choosing to pose as Pantodapoi-type soldiers?

[TWFanatic]

About piercing weapons; one would always wear some additional layer of clothing/armour underneath the chain mail, or the LS if only for simple reasons of comfort. I guess it hurts: 10000+ metal rings scraping off your skin; or getting your skin stuck between the two of the segements in LS...

I have heard a number of vague references to a padded garment that was worn over the tunic and underneath the armor. The term subarmalis comes to mind. I've heard it used as a pretty generic term for any article of clothing worn underneath armor. Quick google came up with this: http://www.larp.com/legioxx/subarm.html
Not sure how accurate it is but all the reenactment sites seems to agree that little is known about this garment because it was made of perishable textiles and hence hasn't survived.

As for Re-enactors choosing to stick with LS instead of other forms well; that can be explained by a number of reasons:

1) LS doesn't weigh as much as chain mail;
2) LS can be recreated/faked quite easily; chain mail can't (remember: 10000+ rings...).
3) LS is cheaper (see #2); valid even way back when
4) For some strange reason (a-historical Romans) the public associates the combination "Romans + history" with LS. It's not accurate, given the Romans never took to it the way the Greeks took to the Lineothorax for instance; but yeah ... Also; not like re-enactors give an accurate representation of the armies back then if you interpret the amount of re-enactors posing as soldier type X as how many of them were actually around; I mean: ever seen as many re-enactors choosing to pose as Pantodapoi-type soldiers?

Makes sense. That strange reason, btw, is most likely that ever-corrupting influence on modern culture--Hollywood.

Have any EB members or players ever been to a reenactment?

[satalexton]

I have, not as a roman personally tho (I was an infantryman from the early Han dynasty). It was a community history event some years ago about the world during 200 BC (The XiongNu starts poping up in China, I think the romans just got rid of some local Gallic problems...cant remember clearly). Some dudes from another school acting as the romans came clad in LS...I asked them y and they told me cuz it's easier to make and the general public's too stupid to realize anyways... =_=;;;

...so much for our guys doing all that research, and the other guys just decided that principes wear LS cuz 'it was on Gladiator' =_=

[Tellos Athenaios]

Makes sense. That strange reason, btw, is most likely that ever-corrupting influence on modern culture--Hollywood.

Yeah I know. It's a figure of speech really; not genuine wonder.

Have any EB members or players ever been to a reenactment?

About members, don't know; about players... well I'll let Hax answer for himself?