SUBARMALIS
The subarmalis is a padded jacket worn beneath chainmail [lorica hamata] and lorica segmentata. It cushions a blow from an enemy, hopefully preventing broken bones, ruptured organs and internal bleeding, even though the metal armour on top has actually deflected the blade.
The subarmalis can sometimes be seen peeking out from beneath armour on wall-paintings and in mosaics of the period, but no physical examples have survived. Typically, the subarmalis is constructed in linen (those depicted are white, which often denotes the use of undyed linen), either a score or more layers glued together, or two layers with wool packed between them and then quilted. Both create a viable 'dead' space behind the ringmail which provides that vital protection from blunt trauma. Obviously, a subarmalis is very hot to wear, especially when you add on the armour and helmet, and then carry all of the weaponry! |
Above Sculpture of Mars the god of war, on an inscription from the fort at Bremenium. Mars wears what looks like a subarmalis.
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Above Left Legionary Rufus wears a short-sleeved linen subarmalis with attached leather pteruges. His belt is a much later 4th century type.
Above Right Fortunatus wears his longer-sleeved subarmalis with an earlier set of long pteruges.
Below Demetrius wears a long version of the subarmalis for to be worn underneath a long chainmail shirt, it does not need leather pteruges.
Above Right Fortunatus wears his longer-sleeved subarmalis with an earlier set of long pteruges.
Below Demetrius wears a long version of the subarmalis for to be worn underneath a long chainmail shirt, it does not need leather pteruges.
Pteruges
It was at the end of the 2nd century AD that Roman legionaries routinely began to wear pteruges. These are the long leather strips hanging down from the armour. It is thought they were introduced to provide some protection for the groin as the famous studded cingulum of the 1st century fell out of fashion and was abandoned. These pteruges are worn with segmentata and chainmain in the late 2nd century and through into the 3rd century. Later in the 3rd century the fashion was for very long chainmail shirts, and so pteruges themselves were not used.
They could be fastened to a separately made linen subarmalis, or they could be an integral part of a leather subarmalis.