Everyone has heard of the amazing military might of the Roman Empire. They expanded their great empire with the power and strength of their armies, as well as using superior technology. One area of technology the Romans excelled in was the armor their soldiers wore.
Possibly one of the most recognizable pieces of Roman armor is the Galea helmet. This helmet replaced the Coolus helmet and not only rendered extensive protection for the soldier, but the craftsmanship was exceptional, considering they were each hand made. Celtic artisans in Gaul created each one of the impressive helmets with obvious pride in their work.
The Roman Empire went through a number of helmet iterations before designing the Galea. Roman armor evolved with the times, and before the Galea was the Imperial Gallic helmet and then the Imperial Italic. Neither of these could compare with the craftsmanship and quality that went into the later helmets, though.
The materials most commonly used for these helmets were bronze and iron. These helmets not only protected the head but also the neck, cheek and face. This protection was provided with additional pieces of metal attached to the main helmet.
Another important development to these helmets happened in the Dacian Wars. While Roman armor was still some of the best available, they discovered that the Gallic helmet didn't quite offer enough protection against the enemy phalanx.
On the battlefield, the soldiers made a makeshift addition to the helmet by attaching two iron rods across the skull part of the helmet for added protection. Necessity really did become the mother of invention through this battle. Moreover, this new addition created by the soldiers quickly became a standard addition to all of the handmade Roman armor helmets.
A campaigning soldier of the Empire would typically carry a large amount of Roman armor and other supplies with him. This could include lorica segmentata (body armor), a shield, javelins, a short sword, daggers, sandals, a Gallic helmet, a couple weeks of rations, cooking equipment, and anything else that would help them survive.
The regulations to be a soldier in the Roman army were that a soldier had to be a citizen of Rome and be under the age of 45. They also had to agree to 25 years of service. Armies were made up of soldiers called legionaries and commanders called centurions. Each of these wore a plume in parades to distinguish them from each other. The centurions would wear their plumes transversally on their helmet, and the legionaries wore theirs longitudinally.
Possibly one of the most recognizable pieces of Roman armor is the Galea helmet. This helmet replaced the Coolus helmet and not only rendered extensive protection for the soldier, but the craftsmanship was exceptional, considering they were each hand made. Celtic artisans in Gaul created each one of the impressive helmets with obvious pride in their work.
The Roman Empire went through a number of helmet iterations before designing the Galea. Roman armor evolved with the times, and before the Galea was the Imperial Gallic helmet and then the Imperial Italic. Neither of these could compare with the craftsmanship and quality that went into the later helmets, though.
The materials most commonly used for these helmets were bronze and iron. These helmets not only protected the head but also the neck, cheek and face. This protection was provided with additional pieces of metal attached to the main helmet.
Another important development to these helmets happened in the Dacian Wars. While Roman armor was still some of the best available, they discovered that the Gallic helmet didn't quite offer enough protection against the enemy phalanx.
On the battlefield, the soldiers made a makeshift addition to the helmet by attaching two iron rods across the skull part of the helmet for added protection. Necessity really did become the mother of invention through this battle. Moreover, this new addition created by the soldiers quickly became a standard addition to all of the handmade Roman armor helmets.
A campaigning soldier of the Empire would typically carry a large amount of Roman armor and other supplies with him. This could include lorica segmentata (body armor), a shield, javelins, a short sword, daggers, sandals, a Gallic helmet, a couple weeks of rations, cooking equipment, and anything else that would help them survive.
The regulations to be a soldier in the Roman army were that a soldier had to be a citizen of Rome and be under the age of 45. They also had to agree to 25 years of service. Armies were made up of soldiers called legionaries and commanders called centurions. Each of these wore a plume in parades to distinguish them from each other. The centurions would wear their plumes transversally on their helmet, and the legionaries wore theirs longitudinally.
About the Author:
The Roman armies were a fearsome sight to all who saw them. In those days, Roman swords and Roman armor were nearly unbeatable around. Technological innovations kept them nearly unbeatable on the battlefield for many centuries.
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