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\"Tube and yoke\" hamata?
#1
I was recently looking for some chain mail for my local Dagorhir chapter and I came across this:

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?...el+-+Large

I remembered from HBO's series Rome, the legionaries wore the same, or similar, hamata, which for some reason looks like the linothorax made out of mail. Is there any historicity to this? Some reconstructions I've seen - mostly of Auxilia, because for some reason segmentata seems to be the most popular legionary armor - do. It have the shoulder flaps.
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#2
It's not a tube and yoke construction. It just has a doubler for an added layer of protection on the shoulders, but it's on top of a normal mail shirt.
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#3
We have no idea whether the shoulder doublings were intended to provide extra protection to the shoulders or whether it was just an attempt to emulate the Greek fashion. This style seems to have been adopted for leather, mail, scale, and even some types of plate armour at the time.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books
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#4
I'd imagine it was a little bit of both.
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#5
Ah, I see now. Thanks. The Greeks never used chainmail, correct? Even though their enemies sometimes did?
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#6
As far as I am aware the Greeks did not adopt Chainmail until the very end of their civilization (like 160's or 130's BC)
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#7
Quote:As far as I am aware the Greeks did not adopt Chainmail until the very end of their civilization (like 160's or 130's BC)
It was likely developed in central Europe in the 3rd century and the Romans adopted it a generation or two later. It then started spreading everywhere.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books
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#8
The Greeks may well have encountered mail before the Romans. When Polybius is describing the equipment of Roman soldiers in the 130s BC, he mentions that most legionaries wore a pectoral plate (their 'heart protector', which he describes in detail) but some of the wealthier soldiers had shirts of Celtic mail (which he does not describe). The fact that he does not describe what mail is, strongly suggests that he expected a Greek speaking audience to already be familiar with the concept of mail. This has led many to suggest that soldiers in the Hellenistic armies of the Successor states may commonly have worn mail themselves.

A Greek familiarity with mail would hardly be surprising, given both that the great trading city of Massillia was located in southern Gaul, and that there was a thriving Gallic state in central Anatolia (Galatia) which had been established by the Gallic tribes which had sacked Rome in 390BC and then rolled through the Hellenistic world before settling down to drunken rowdiness in the middle of the civilised world. Dying Gauls were popular subject matter for artists in other parts of Asia. It would be fair to say that the Hellenistic Greek world was all too familiar with Gauls and many (especially those in the upper classes and who could expect to be familiar with military matters) would have been well aware of how they kitted themselves out for combat as many Galatians appear to have served as mercenaries. If anything, the Romans came late to the practice of using mail.

Getting back to the mail shirt in your picture, it appears to be made from galvanised rings. As the Romans did not use galvanised iron, it is probably best avoided, as galvanising sticks out a mile.

Crispvs
Who is called \'\'Paul\'\' by no-one other than his wife, parents and brothers.  :!: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_exclaim.gif" alt=":!:" title="Exclamation" />:!:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.romanarmy.net">www.romanarmy.net
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#9
He said it's for Dagorhir, so he's not looking for accuracy.
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