Description

Book Synopsis

Fully illustrated, this study investigates the origins, evolution and use of the mail and scale armour worn by the soldiers and gladiators of Imperial Rome.

Less glamorous than the Roman Army''s instantly recognizable plate armour but much more versatile, mail and scale armour were used by both legionaries and auxiliaries throughout Rome''s history. Developed by the Celts and quickly adopted by the Romans, mail armour was easy to make and required little maintenance. Scale was a much older form of armour, originating in the Near East during the second millennium BC. As with mail, it was used by both auxiliaries and legionaries, but like plate armour, it was much more fragile than mail. Both types of armour were also used by gladiators (principally as arm defences).

New discoveries in both mail and scale, as well as in hybrid forms that mixed the two, mean that much more is now known about the development of these types of defence during the Roman period, their e

Table of Contents
Introduction Mail Armour Scale Armour Lamellar Armour Manufacture and Decoration Mail and Scale Armour in Use Bibliography Index

Roman Mail and Scale Armour

    Product form

    A Paperback / softback by M.C. Bishop, Giuseppe Rava

    £13.49

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £14.99 – you save £1.50 (10%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Wed 23 Sep 2026.

    2 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Roman Mail and Scale Armour by M.C. Bishop

      Book details

      Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
      Published 20 July 2023
      ISBN-13 9781472851703
      978-1472851703
      ISBN-10 1472851706
      Also in:
      History Ancient history Home & Garden Militaria, arms and armour

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Fully illustrated, this study investigates the origins, evolution and use of the mail and scale armour worn by the soldiers and gladiators of Imperial Rome.

      Less glamorous than the Roman Army''s instantly recognizable plate armour but much more versatile, mail and scale armour were used by both legionaries and auxiliaries throughout Rome''s history. Developed by the Celts and quickly adopted by the Romans, mail armour was easy to make and required little maintenance. Scale was a much older form of armour, originating in the Near East during the second millennium BC. As with mail, it was used by both auxiliaries and legionaries, but like plate armour, it was much more fragile than mail. Both types of armour were also used by gladiators (principally as arm defences).

      New discoveries in both mail and scale, as well as in hybrid forms that mixed the two, mean that much more is now known about the development of these types of defence during the Roman period, their e

      Table of Contents
      Introduction Mail Armour Scale Armour Lamellar Armour Manufacture and Decoration Mail and Scale Armour in Use Bibliography Index

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account