Elite Roman Plate Armour Paperback

Description

Fully illustrated, this book investigates the articulated plate armour worn by Romanlegionaries.DescriptionFully illustrated, this book investigates the articulated plate armour worn by Romanlegionaries.First named by Renaissance historians studying the reliefs on Trajan’s Column, loricasegmentata evaded successful attempts to reconstruct it until a series of importantarchaeological finds in the 20th century revealed how it worked and the truth of itsextended chronology. The earliest finds date from the late 1st century BC, and itsdiscovery at Kalkriese in Germany shows how rapidly it was adopted. At the same time,discoveries in Spain and Britain showed that, despite its apparent fragility, it continuedin use into the 4th century AD.The spectacular find of six halves of cuirasses in a chest at Corbridge in 1964 has nowbeen matched by the rare discovery of a complete set of this armour at Kalkriese. TheCorbridge find provided the context to interpret and reconstruct earlier finds. There isnow years of experience gleaned from reenactors over the practical strengths andweaknesses of this form of armour. At the same time, scientific analysis has providedinsights into the technology behind this revolutionary form of armour so characteristic ofthe Roman Army. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and drawing upon thelatest findings, this study lifts the veil on the formidable plate armour used by thelegionaries of Imperial Rome.Sales and Marketing HighlightsWhether in films, on television, in books or among re-enactors, audiences arefamiliar with the sight of lorica segmentata, and the story of its development isa fascinating one.Noted authority M.C. Bishop draws upon the latest research to tell the story ofRoman plate armour.Ancient Rome continues to provide diverse and successful topics for Ospreyacross the different series.