Roman Body Armour, Paperback

‘Revolutionary study of Roman armor … This thought-provoking book will appeal to those interested in the Roman army.’ CLASSIC ARMS AND MILITARIAThis book assesses current views of the body armor used by the Roman army and its development, melding these with the archaeological evidence available. It draws together the streams of published information of sculptural imagery and archaeological ‘hard’ evidence, while also looking at the component parts and how they are physically put together. This has involved a return to basics, in examining wherever possible the original material (as opposed to the published 2-D photographic images and line drawings) and attempting to reproduce the aspects of the artifacts observed through physical reconstruction. The reconstructions produced were then subjected to low-level, simulated wear, over several years, to view component interaction, and simulated combat/ destructive testing using a range of weaponry, including archery equipment, to view which parts were more susceptible to damage, and what features may be anticipated archaeologically on artifacts as evidence of regular wear, combat damage and field repairs. Discrepancies were also noted between current reconstructions of Roman military equipment (by museums and re-enactors), which have been produced based on previous desk-based assessments, and the reality of the actual artifacts, particularly in the case of the segmented plate armor (lorica segmentata), which may cause us to rethink not only the appearance, but also the function/fighting methods of the Roman soldier.REVIEWS “This well written tome is highly recommended to anyone interested in Roman warfare from the rise of the Republic to the fall of the Empire.Toy Soldier and Model Figure“…great for history buffs and weapon aficionados.”City Book Review The authors are Roman historical re-enactors; one is also an archeological illustrator with a doctorate degree in Roman archaeology. In this book on the body armor of the Roman army of the Imperial Period, they combine scholarly rigor with the enthusiasm and craftsmanship of historical re-enactment, in an effort to appeal to both scholars and re-enactorProtoview