RomanArmyTalk

Salve!

I’m new to this forum and this is my first post. I’m of Swedish origin and I hope that my English will be understood.

I have some questions about the finds of Roman arms and armour. How many examples of the different kinds of arms and armour below have been found?

Sword
- Gladius Hispaniensis (Republican type)
- Mainz
- Fulham
- Pompeii

Helmet
- Montefortino
- Colus
- Gallic
- Italic

Chainmail
- Republican/early Imperial form
- Longer late Imperial form

Segmented armour

Spear

Shields
- Oval republican form
- Later Imperial form

I hope that someone can help me with this!

Hi,

for a good overview get Roman Military Equipment 2nd Ed. by Coulston & Bishop ( http://www.romanmilitaryequipment.co.uk/ ) - this should answer your questions for a start I think.

Ave!

I think the short answer is "lots"! No one is going to be able to come up with an exact number for most of these, because new finds are showing up all the time, and the vast majority of artifacts are in private collections, or packed away in storage in a museum basement. Relatively few make it to publication in a book that the general public can get hold of.

For instance, Robinson's "Armour of Imperial Rome" shows a couple dozen Montefortino helmets and a bunch of Coolus helmets of various types, a Gallic A, one B, one C, one D, one G, one H, but 2 or 3 type E, 3 F, etc.

No complete lorica segmentata has been found, though the pieces at Corbridge could be assembled into 3 more or less complete cuirasses. However, pieces, fragments, and fittings are found everywhere, to the point where you can find loose hinges, buckles, and lacing loops by a number of antiquities dealers. Fragments of mail are also pretty common, but I think there are only 2 or 3 shirts which are pretty much complete, though they may be solid lumps of rust.

The only known shield which might be a Republican Roman one is from Fayum in Egypt, and it might just be a local Hellenistic copy of a Roman one. A nearly complete rectangular scutum and parts of a couple others were found at Dura Europas, c. 250 AD, but we only have some bosses and metal fittings from the first and second centuries.

Spearheads are found by the dozen, all over the place.

Does that help? It's kind of a huge question, you may have scared people off! But your English is fine!

Vale,

Matthew