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Lorica hamata

60 second histories

This video covers:

A description of the armour called lorica hamata, also known as chainmail, explaining how it was lightweight and gave the legionaries protection whilst still being able to move easily 

One of the most important pieces of equipment for a legionary is his armour; although you can never cover every part of the body you can protect the vital organs by armouring the torso, which is your main body bits. You should also make sure that your shoulders are well padded and protected from sword or axe blows from above. My favourite armour is the Lorica Hamata, which you may know as chainmail. It’s not too heavy and it moves with your body, see how easily I can move around I can even bend touch my toes. The main problem for an ordinary legionary is that there’s no protection for the arms or legs, but there’s a reason for this - movement. As a legionary you have to be able to move fast, march and fight so having your arms and legs free makes for a better fighting machine. There is just one thing that does worry me about the Lorica Hamata, its not arrow proof, but hey, that’s why I have my shield the Scutum
Eras: 
Roman
Topics: 
Uniforms & Equipment
Character: 
Legionary
Key words: 
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