Roman soldier's armour
| Roman soldier's armour |
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The helmet was designed to protect the solider from sword attack on nearly every part of the head, It had a peak from the brow to defend against a blow to the face, cheek pieces for attacks from the side and horizontal slats at the back of the neck to prevent the opponent's sword from taking off his head. The rear of the neck was vulnerable to upward sweeps that could get between the layers. At the time of Claudius, this was replaced by one with a guard that fitted snugly against the neck |
This consisted of a set of curved horizontal metal strips fastened with hooks and laces at the front and hinged at the back. These were held together by vertical leather strips on the inside. This enable the soldier to be well protected and also be flexible enough to allow him to bend. The armour was strengthened by front and back plates below the neck. Moving to the shoulders, these were protected by a pair of curved pieces. |
This was metal studded and gave protection for the stomach and abdomen. |
These were protected by caligae (sandals) made of several thicknesses of leather, studded with conical hobnails for marching over rough ground and using on the enemy when he had fallen. |
