Availability
We do not normally keep this item in stock. If you want to order a pair we can arrange for its manufacture. Please allow at least 90 days for delivery. We require a 50% non-refundable deposit if you want us to go ahead and order it.
Price is indicative.
Product Details
The lorica hamata is a type of maille armour used by the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. During the 1st century A.D. it was starting to be supplemented by the lorica segmentata, but had been reintroduced as sole standard-issue armor by the 4th century. It was issued for both primary Legionary and secondary Legionary Auxiia troops.
The shoulders of the lorica hamata had flaps that were similar to the Greek Linothorax which ran from about mid-back to the front of the torso, and were connected by brass or iron hooks which connected to studs riveted through the ends of the flaps. Up to 30,000 rings would have gone into one lorica hamata, and the estimated production time was two months even with continual slave labor at the state-run armouries.
Although labor-intensive to manufacture, it is thought that, with good maintenance, they could be continually used for several decades. Constant friction kept the rings of the lorica hamata free of rust, unlike the segmentata which needed constant maintenance to prevent corrosion.
Over its lifetime, the lorica hamata remained in constant use by the legionaries and it was the preferred armour of the centurions, who favored its greater coverage and lower maintenance. The lorica hamata was still common amongst the Legionary soldiers in the 2nd century, despite the use of the more popularly recognized lorica segmentata laminated plate armour. The segmentata was eventually discontinued in the third century for unknown reasons, but the lorica hamata remained common for both legionaries and auxilia. Later versions had sleeves and expanded to the knees unlike the earlier lorica hamata.
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