chief advantagewas in its weight, around 12lb, depending upon the thickness of plates used. Plates were madeby hammer work, and Bishop and Coulston note that an analysis of surviving fragments of ironplates of the lorica segmentata type show that they had not been hardened in any way, althoughthe Romans are known to have been aware of this technique. They also suggest that Romanarmorers deliberately produced 'soft' armor that could absorb the force of a blow as it crumpled.This softness allowed the metal to deform extensively, absorbing the impact of weapons anddenying them the resistance needed to penetrate effectively. Massey cites evidence ofcontemporary arrowhead types used against this type of armor. On no occasion did arrowheadsof any type tested afford lethal penetration. Shots directed at this type of armor either glancedoff or gave minimal penetration. This effectiveness was apparently due to a combination of thesoftness of the metal and the internal gap between the plates. Massey also proposes that up untilthe introduction of lorica segmentata in Claudian times there was no armor form in widespreaduse which could guarantee the wearer's safety against arrow attack. This armor was alsoespecially fortified in shoulder-defense. As such it may have normally been employed byparticular legions, notably those fighting the Celts, whose style of fighting and use of weaponssuch as the long sword posed a particular threat to the head and shoulders of the lineinfantryman. Segmented plate armor had disadvantages as well. Most notable is the loss ofprotection to the thighs and upper arms. Simkins states that during the Emperor Trajan's Daciancampaign, the Romans fought against adversaries armed with long scythe-like swords called falx. These were capable of reaching past the legionnaires scutum (a large curved shield) toinjure the unprotected sword arm. This weapon may have also endangered the soldiers' legswhich from Republican times were ...
