Bronze armour/weapons in the Imperial Army

[Carus Andiae]

Someone of the BBC History Messageboards a couple of days ago asked whether the Roman Army was really as 'shiny' as they often seem in re-enactments.

Out of this sprang a poster arguing that the Romans made much more widespread use of bronze in their armour and weapons than is generally portrayed.

As I understand it, during the Imperial period (by which I mean the first four centuries AD, give or take a few years) bronze armour existed in the form of musculata and squamata, assorted helmets and possibly the segmentata of the 'Golden House Praetorian', assuming such a soldier really existed. Of actual weapons, I can't think of any bronze examples at all.

Is this right? Is there any evidence - archaeological, literary or artistic - for other bronze armour and weapons?

[Matthew Amt]

Ave!

Well, if you include brass along with bronze, sure, it was very common for helmets, shield bosses, belt parts, cookware, and other items, all through the Roman era. Musculata, obviously, but also scale armor. Still no physical evidence that I know of for copper alloy segmentata, so if it did exist it had to be darn rare.

Weapons are another matter! Rome wasn't even founded until the start of the Iron Age, so after you get out of the 8th century BC you are not likely to see very many bronze swords or spears at all. Bronze buttspikes held on in Greece right through to the Hellenistic era, though the heads were almost always iron. I think bronze arrowheads may also have remained in use here and there, but most Roman ones are iron.

Now, there is an article in one of the JRMES issues about a group of copper alloy points found at a site from the 3rd century AD, if I recall (Germany? Eastern Europe?). They were socketed spikes, basically, mostly octagonal in section so they weren't bladed like spears. They were interpreted as weapon points, though I don't recall if there was any discussion of them being buttspikes instead. Kind of odd!

So, basically, I agree with you! The Romans used a LOT of iron, though Italy still seems to have had a strong bronze industry for domestic items (pots, lamps, utensils, furniture fittings, etc., not to mention artwork!). But if someone is thinking of all the horrible "bronze Roman" weapons seen on ebay these days, most of those are badly mislabeled or outright fakes. Iron weapons were the rule for the Empire.

Vale,

Matthew

[Peroni]

Still no physical evidence that I know of for copper alloy segmentata, so if it did exist it had to be darn rare.

Or recycled/melted down! :wink:

[jho]

Now, there is an article in one of the JRMES issues about a group of copper alloy points found at a site from the 3rd century AD, if I recall (Germany? Eastern Europe?). They were socketed spikes, basically, mostly octagonal in section so they weren't bladed like spears. They were interpreted as weapon points, though I don't recall if there was any discussion of them being buttspikes instead. Kind of odd!

I am not sure if we are referring to the same article but I remember reading that a substantial number of bronze tips and buts for light throwing spears were found in Dacia.

[Matthew Amt]

Or recycled/melted down! :wink:

Absolutely. I do think that lorica parts would be less likely to survive than helmets, simply because helmets were a common votive item. Still considering the large amount of iron lorica fragments that exist, and the huge numbers of fittings, one would think that a copper alloy plate should show up somewhere if there was anything approaching a significant amount of it in use. Still, might be neat to use brass if I ever have to replace just one plate on my old lorica! (Although, what would it take to damage one lorica plate beyond repair, without corresponding damage to my lovely self?)

I am not sure if we are referring to the same article but I remember reading that a substantial number of bronze tips and buts for light throwing spears were found in Dacia.

Yeah, that could be the one. It was just too late at night to dig through the journal and find the article.

Valete,

Matthew

[Carus Andiae]

Thanks! It does seem to confirm my suspicions. Yes, there is the possibility that bronze segmentata was melted down, but I'd agree you'd expect some evidence. Interesting about the spears from Dacia, though. Were these thought to be Roman, then?