Armour Flexibility

[Gaius Colletti]

If you want to be pedantic then I'll say "lower stomach and groin". The coverage is similar to a breast- and back-plate with extra plates for the shoulders.

Pros of segmentata vs mail

Seg.
lighter weight
cheaper/faster to produce
better resistance against crushing attacks and blunt trauma
large shoulder guards give the wearer a more intimidating presence
can be highly polished - perhaps being preferred for parades?

Mail
more body coverage
more flexible
less susceptible to breakage
easier to maintain
easier to make field repairs
easier to fit to a range of body sizes
easier to transport
quicker to don
longer lifespan

Personally I think that mail is more comfortable too but acknowledge that it is a subjective issue. There is little reason to discuss comparative resistance to blades and points because both are more than capable in that capacity.

Assuming that the above is correct then why would segmentata be phased out? There is nothing to suggest that the state-run fabricas were less capable than earlier private ones, so it is unlikely to have been a technological issue. There is nothing to suggest that the two types of armour require different fighting styles or tactics, so a changing battlefield environment wasn't the reason. The only thing that makes sense to me is that "cheaper/faster to produce" was no longer a concern in the state-run fabricas. Mail still took longer to make but if the gap was closed enough between the two, then all the other advantages of mail would tip the scales in its favour, rendering segmentata obsolete.

Call me a "pedantic"? You using poor generalizations and vague descriptions of what you "actually" meant is what should be called out on. Don't get mad at me because I called out your post. Maybe you are the jolly green giant and the segmentata stops at your navel, but for me it covers my lower abdomen just fine.

Since you don't wear a subarmalis past your abdomen, chain isn't going to stop the blunt trauma from a swing aimed past your subarmalis, so your chain loses some credit there. Other than the top of the thighs, segmentata covers all the same areas.

I don't agree with your pro's and con's opinionated list either, is riveting new chains easier to putting a rivet through a piece of leather and hammering it more time consuming and difficult? and I'll take blunt trauma protection to "something easier to put on and easy to store" thank you. Give some weight or points to certain benefits and present them in a well balanced list and I'll take what you say with credibility.

Segmentata was in use for 300 years, it worked, why did it stop? Your guess is as good as mine, maybe it had something to do with cracks in the state starting to fracture the Empire, or the influx of mercenaries in the army, this was after all when the empire became very unstable (There were about 18 Emperors in the first 200 years vs 40 Western Emperors in the last 200 years, things were that unstable). But certainly it wasn't because the seg was junk or easy to manufacturer.