Equipment (ROMAN)

Equipment and Tactics- 2

Roman legionary equipment

• tunic

• lorica segmentata

• gladius

• boots/sandals

• cassis

• scutum

• pilum

• sporran

• dagger

tunic material

cloth

purpose of tunic

sat next to soldiers skin, protecting him from chafing against plate armour

what is lorica segmentata

plate armour

lorica segmentata material

horizontal metal bands covering the torso as well as vertical metal bands protecting the shoulders

positives of lorica segmentata

• could be manufacture much more quickly than chainmail

• flexible, allowing the soldier to twist his body

main use of lorica segmentata

protection against projectiles and some protection from slashing sword blows

disadvantages of lorica segmentata

fitting holding the bands together easily damaged and in constant need of repair

what is a gladius

sword

gladius material

iron

what was the principle weapon of a roman legionary

gladius

main use of gladius

• fighting in close quarters

• stabbing

why did legionnaires stab with their gladius instead of slashing

stab wounds more likely to hit a vital organ or sever a major artery and be fatal

how could the gladius be defensive

parry incoming blows

boots/sandal material

leather

use of boots/sandals

to protect the soles of feet from being cut

provides grip to help the soldier not fall over

why did legionnaires have to wear boots/sandals

fields uneven and covered in sharp stones and battlefields covered with dropped/broken weapons, blood and bodies of fallen

what is a cassis

helmet

cassis material

bronze with horsehair plume

what pieces was the helmet made up of

separate pieces with one covering the top of the head and two covering the cheeks, connected with rivets

positives of cassis compared to Corinthian helmet

• lighter

• doesn’t impede peripheral vision but still offers some cheek protection

purpose of cassis

protected head from projectiles and gave some protection from blows from handheld weapons

why did helmets sometimes have horsehair plumes

intimidated the enemy by making the warrior seem taller

what is a scutum

shield

scutum material

plywood, leather and metal

length of scutum

over a metre

defensive use of shield and how its shape helps this

curved, offering good protection from a range of angles from projectiles and stabs

how could the scutum be used as a weapon

metal knob in middle, used to punch enemies, knocking them off balance, making them vulnerable to follow up attack from gladius

what was a pilum

spear

pilum material

wood shaft, weighted iron tip

when was pilum used and what did it do

thrown at start of battle like javelin; intended to kill or injure frontline of enemy as they advanced toward the Roman army

why was the pilum thrown at beginning of battle

fallen warriors on ground would then trip up those who came behind, making them easier targets

how was the tip design of spear effective

designed to bend after thrown to prevent enemy from picking them up and throwing them back

what would happen if spear pierced shield

it would bend and be difficult to pull out, making the shield totally useless

what is a sporran and what was its use

apron of leather strips which provided some additional protection to the groin

sporran material

leather

dagger material

iron

dagger length

20-25cm

when was the dagger used

last resort weapon, also used for day to day cutting

what else would a soldier carry with them on campaign

pack of supplies

what did pack of supplies contain

• spare clothes

• food rations

• cooking pot

• short space

• handmill for grinding corn

• two wooden stakes to help build protective fence around camp

prescribed source for Roman legionnaire equipment

Bronze statuette of legionary

bronze statuette source date

2nd century CE

three pieces of legionary’s armour visible on statuette source that was designed to help soldier in battle

• cassis which protects head from projectiles and blows from weapons and provides cheek protection and lightweight

• leather sandals which protect his feet from cuts from debris on the ground and provides grip and balance when fighting

• wearing chest armour which protects torso and is flexible, allowing him to move well during battle

two aspects of legionary soldiers armour visible on statuette source that may have been inconvenient

• lorica segmentata easily broke due to weak bands connecting the plates, which is expensive and inconvenient especially during battle