Mail replaced segmentata? Why?

[Magnus]

Tarbicus - I am not sure that this theory really stands up to a lot of scrutiny? Surely sieges were quite commonplace throughout the Punic Wars, and yet segmentata do not apparently appear for another 150 years plus? Were the Romans really that slow on the uptake? At what point does Lendon suggest that siege warfare starts to "decline" ?

I disagree, the firearm in the form of the musket and rifle were around for about 350 years before the machine gun was invented. Yet during those 350 years there was still a great need to create a more effective support weapon. So even though sieges were around prior to the segmentata, it doesn't mean that the technology was simply going to appear over night, or within a few decades. Some innovations simply take a lot of time, especially pre-industrial revolution.