The lorica hamata

The lorica hamata is a type of chainmail shirt used by soldiers for more than 600 years from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire (from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD). The name lorica hamata comes from the Latin "hamatus" (hooked) as the rings interlock.

Modern historians believe that mail armor was invented by the Celts. These armors were possibly inspired by the scale armors worn by the Scythian riders and the Greek linothorax. The Celts lived alongside both peoples and thus developed the Lorica hamata. 

The lorica hamata was probably introduced to the Romans by the Celts during the sack of Rome in the 4th century BC. This defeat, along with the defeats the Romans suffered during the wars with the Samnites, forced the Romans to change their military strategy from phalanx warfare. Around this time, the Celtic Montefortino helmet, the Celtic scutum (shield), and the Celtic type La Tène B sword were also adopted by the Romans.

Around this time, the legions consisted, besides a small contingent of cavalry, of the velites (lightly armed warriors with javelins) Hastati (warriors with shield, sword, and pilum), Principes (wealthier warriors with shield, sword, and pilum) and Triarii (the wealthiest infantry armed with the scutum, thrusting spear (dory), and sword). The latter still fought as the traditional phalanx formation, while the other warriors fought in formations that were more maneuverable. Only the Principes and Triarii, besides the cavalry which consisted of the elite, were wealthy enough to afford a lorica hamata. The Hastatae could at best afford a Cardiophylax (heart protector) and Montefortino helmet. 

In the early centuries, the lorica hamata was very expensive and probably only the wealthiest infantrymen could afford a lorica hamata. It seems that around 120 BC, the lorica hamata became a standard part of the equipment of Roman legionaries. From 213 BC, after the 2nd Punic War, the admission requirement for Roman citizens to join the army was lowered. The citizen only needed to possess 4,000 asses, previously it was 11,000 asses. At the same time, alongside conscripts, there were also volunteers who joined the army as professional soldiers. Therefore, the armor was increasingly mass-produced and financed by the Roman state. After 120 BC, it seems that the lorica hamata became a fixed part of the equipment of a Roman legionary. The first documented use of the lorica hamata took place during the Roman conquest of Hispania.

Even after the lorica segmentata (the segment armour) was developed probably at the beginning of the 1st century AD, the lorica hamata remained the most used type of body armor during the Roman Empire.

The lorica hamata was used by both legionaries and auxilia . There were various versions of this type of armor, specialized in different military tasks such as light infantry, cavalry, and spearmen. It was the preferred armor of centurions, who appreciated the greater protection and lower maintenance. Constant friction kept the rings of the lorica hamata free from rust. During the early empire, depictions of emperors wearing the lorica hamata or lorica squamata were very rare. However, in the later empire, such depictions were shown more often. From the 2nd century AD, the lorica segmentata gradually fell out of use, but the lorica hamata continued to be used until the end of the Roman Empire. From the 3rd century AD, other chainmails with both long and short sleeves and without shoulder reinforcement were used alongside the lorica hamata. This was related to the change in warfare where the scutum was also replaced by the round shield or oval round shield. The lorica hamata never entirely fell out of use; chainmails were worn on the battlefield in Europe until the 16th century. 

The lorica hamata was made from steel rings that were interwoven and tightly riveted together. The riveted rings were mixed with flat closed rings, allowing for the relatively inexpensive production of many lorica hamatas. This armor was strong and offered maximum flexibility to the wearer. The rings had an inner diameter of 5 - 7 mm. The diameter of the wire from which the rings were made was approximately 1.7 mm. Several thousand rings were needed to make the armor. The lorica hamata could reach halfway down the thigh and weighed 10-12 kg. The estimated production time was two months, even with continuous slave labor in state-run arms factories.

On the shoulders, there was often a second layer of shoulder covering. When fighting in both loose and closed formations with elongated shields, the shoulders, neck, and head are the main vulnerable body parts. The second layer of mail therefore provided extra protection to the shoulders and neck and was closed at the front of the lorica hamata with brass hooks. This was an evolution from the Greek linothorax and was already used by the Celts in the 4th century BC. 

It is unclear what legionaries and auxilia wore under the lorica hamata. The hamata is ideal for protection against cuts and provides relatively good protection against thrusts. However, for the impact of axes and other weapons that cause internal injuries, it is necessary to wear some form of padding under the chainmail shirt. There is no evidence of this, and reliefs also suggest that the subarmalis was mainly worn under scale armor and the musculata. It is possible that the legionaries wore a thick woolen tunic as a base layer, or the 'focale' (a thick scarf) provided sufficient protection against the chafing of the lorica hamata against the body.