Roman Armour

ULTRAGOTHA said:

You could try poking around www.romanarmytalk.com

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timewaster said:

I tend to kill people by going under the arm or at the throat - there is a gap at the top of the armour which is not covered at the neck so the throat is a weak spot if you can get past the shield also although the back of the helmet comes down quite low there is still space between the back of the helmet and the top of the armour.
The shield and its use in formation makes a soldier in line quite hard to kill but out of the line and without a shield you might manage to get to the groin/thigh/hamstring if you got lucky. Can't remember if greaves were universal then but the lower leg is not protected by the shield at all times.
Don't take this is as gospel, I don't claim to be an expert, but I think I have used all of these in my stories and no one has ever complained.

You might get through the armour with a throwing axe or a very powerfully thrown spear but lorica is pretty robust and Roman shields were good too so I think you need to separate the soldier from his shield and his cohort to do real damage.

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Cheers.

areteus said:

I know several people who own lorica segmentata made to look reasonably authentic. We have a suit of leather lorica in our kit cupboard (tailored to fit a woman, in fact) and know those with the metal version. I can supply several photos of these if you like, which may help (in fact, look here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10792991@N02/sets/72157626960411053/ and here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10792991@N02/sets/72157624642739559/ and you will see lots of photos of various Romans in various types of armour...)

If you could wait until June next year, I would say come along to one of these events and talk to the people wearing it and the people who make it and ask them all sorts of questions and even get a chance to wear some or play with it and see it in action (though you may have to wear a costume to blend in, easily arranged though).

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Good advice. I am moving back to Northumberland in November, so I will certainly see what is going on around Hadrian's Wall next summer [I'm also looking at a walking holiday along all 84 miles of the Wall. ]

Medievalist said:

Honestly, I'd look for Dorling Kindersley kids books.

Really. All the images are either created by professionals (maps etc.) or licensed from respected collections and museums with provenance.

Also: the National Trust working with the BTA has a self-tour book that's super that's a Hadrian's wall walking tour.

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Ta!

pdr said:

Can you get to Eboracum/York there's a surfeit of Roman stuff there but I daresay there are other places too!

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There is (or used to be, no idea what the situation is there now) a re-enactor in charge of Murton Park Yorkshire Museum of Farming (its on the outskirts of York, just next to the park and ride). They have a Roman fort (and a Norse village) and I suspect they may have armour (they certainly have Norse chain but never saw any Roman...) or at least know who might have some. Give them a ring and ask if you could visit and see what they have and maybe talk to some of the re-enactors who go there?

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I'm actually going to York in October as my sister is going to a University Open Day [which just so happens to be my 30th birthday ]

areteus said:

Not talking about events at Hadrian's wall (though you could do that too, many re-enactors are happy to show you their kit) but specific events that take place twice a year and, if you talk to me nicely, I might be able to get you into if you are interested

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areteus said:

I can't remember a ruined abbey... but I have a bad memory for locations.

The place is called Murton Park (or the Yorkshire museum of farming, whichever is on the AA roadsigns that direct you to it...). A lot of it consists of farm machinary from different historic periods in barns - old combined harvesters etc. There is a steam train there as well for no readily discernible logical reason. Further back in the site there is a Danelaw (for those that don't know - Danelaw was a period when parts of the UK were ruled by the Danes) village (which is basically wattle and daub huts with some fields with live animals in them), a Tudor inn and a wooden Roman fort (which actually looks like it was made of fence panels from B&Q but we reckon that is not too different to how they made them originally...). Worth a look around if you are into seeing how different periods in history lived.

The village, inn and fort are often used by re-enactment groups (in fact, they were all built by re-enactors and maintained by them) and are also frequently used by schools to do 'history empathy days' where children spend the day pretending to be a Roman soldier and get bawled at by a Centurion and drilled into different formations.

They are also sometimes used by LRP groups and I have hired it a few times to run events (where it was discovered how hard it really was to attack a Roman fort, unless you are prepared to climb over the wall as one person did...) and the management were always amenable to talking to people interested in history.

As for the other event, send me a PM and I can send you more details.

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Thanks.

W.J. Cherf said:

Neck (throat), arm pit (of sword hand), face

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