Lorica Plumata Article by Erik Schmid

[Dan Howard]

The modern definition of plumata is not the same as the one used by the Romans. Today people tend to use the term to describe mail that has been constructed with a mail backing. The Romans would have used the term lorica plumata ("feather armour") to describe any scale armour made of scales with a vertical medial ridge as opposed to scales with no ridge which were called lorica squamata ("fish scale armour"). The backing is irrelevant. Personally I'd prefer the term "mail and scales" or even "scale mail" [shudder]. Using "plumata" just confuses things and armour terminology is confusing enough already.