The
lorica hamata is a type of
mailMail is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh....
armour used by the
Roman RepublicThe Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, c...
and the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
. During the 1st century it was starting to be supplemented by
lorica segmentataThe lōrīca segmentāta was a type of segmented armour exclusively used in the Roman Empire, but the Latin name was first used in the 16th century...
, but had been reintroduced as sole standard-issue armor by the 4th century. It was issued for both primary
LegionaryThe Roman legionary was a professional soldier of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. Legionaries had to be Roman citizens under the age of 45. They enlisted in a legion for twenty-five years of service, a change from the early practice of enlisting only for a campaign...
and secondary Auxilia troops. They were mostly manufactured out of
bronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon. It was particularly significant in antiquity, giving its name to the Bronze Age...
or
ironIron is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 element and is therefore classified as a transition metal. Iron and iron alloys are by far the most common metals and the most common ferromagnetic materials in everyday use...
. It alternated with rows of closed washer-like rings, and riveted rings running horizontally, this produced a very flexible, reliable and strong armour. Each ring had an inside diameter of about 5 mm, and an outside diameter of about 7 mm.
The shoulders of the lorica hamata had flaps that were similar to the
GreekGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
'
LinothoraxThe linothorax was a type of armor used by the Ancient Greeks, as well as other civilizations, from the Mycenaean Period through the Hellenistic Period. The earliest attested account of a linothorax used for battle is recorded in Book 2 of Homer's Iliad. It is worn by Ajax and is described in brief...
' 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.
The knowledge on the manufacturing of mail may have come from the Celts, though the first documented use occurred during the Roman conquest of Hispania. There were several versions of this type of armour, specialized for different military duties such as skirmishers, cavalry and spearmen.
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.
The lorica hamata was still common amongst the Legionary soldiers in the 2nd century, despite the use of more advanced
lorica segmentataThe lōrīca segmentāta was a type of segmented armour exclusively used in the Roman Empire, but the Latin name was first used in the 16th century...
. The lorica hamata remained common for both legionaries and auxilia. Later versions had sleeves and expanded to the knees unlike the earlier lorica hamata.