Triarri

[Czear12]

I had some questions on the equipment of the Triarri, I know they some wore maile but did they have doublers, their helmet, what type of shield they used etc I'm talking about early republic Cammilian reforms 

Caleb

[Bryan]

They wore helmets and mail/lorica hamata typical to Roman culture, no differences than the Principes or Hastati type. So that means likely it had shoulder doubling. The only difference in panoply is that being veterans and older propertied men, they would probably have had more money for better equipment, so better quality arms and armor, probably more gaudy. Polybius says the Triari were all equipped with mail but that's probably not the cases. They likely wore greaves. Their shields were the standard Republican scutum, oval in shape, about 4 ft tall, 2.5 ft wide, curved, with wooden barleycorn shaped umbo and spina, sometimes reinforced by bronze or iron sheet, iron or bronze rimmed. One of their arms was the sword (xythos, falcata, gladius, gladius hispaniensis). The only atypical piece of equipment was they are said to have been armed with the thrusting spear, the hasta, not the pila, in which the Hastati and Principes were armed with.

[Czear12]

When you mean typical to roman culture do you mean the Coolus helmet, and during the Camilian reforms which is very early in Rome's history didn't the Triarri have a clipeus shield like a Greek hoplite which they were based on?

[Bryan]

The Coolus is late Republican, a simple and spun bronze helmet copied from the Gauls. I was referring to the Apulo- and Pseudo Corinthian, Chalcidian, Attic, and the Montifertino, which were more commonly used during the 4th to 2nd Cent BC.

Its really hard to lock down the exact nature of the Camilian Reforms because its really used as a historical catch all term to refer to a bunch of changes in the Roman military during the 4th Century BC. Like the Marian Reforms, historians tried to credit a single known reformer with everything, but likely the reforms were drawn out over time, especially changes in equipment.

The scutum tower shields were already popular in Italy before the Clipeus/Aspis type was supplanted, it was simply not carried by the 1st Class infantry of Romans before the known reforms of Camilius which created the cavalry and changed the structure of the citizen infantry. The clipeus/aspis was supplanted for whatever reason, practical or cultural, and occurred sometime after the Battle of Allia and the 2nd Samnite War. Depending on the literary source, and cross referenced with archaeology finds, by the mid 4th Cent. BC, definitely by the 3rd Cent BC, Roman infantry of the line had largely went over completely to the scutum, with the clipeus/aspis being a relic "traditional" shield carried by some officers and cavalry before the circular parma became widespread and popular.

My belief is that the scutum is simpler to make, thus cheaper, simpler to repair, just as handy in close combat, but better at defending against missiles due to its height and width (it covers the torso and legs, while the clipeus/aspis only covers the torso).

[Czear12]

Ok thank your for your help.