Meanings
- pluralplural of lorica squamata
This shows two legionaries wearing loricae squamatae with shoulder doubling braced across the chest with a chain.
1974, Simkins, Michael, The Roman army from Caesar to Trajan, page 152 more examples
The Roman historian Arrianus, in his work Tactica, states that loricae were not worn with the special tunics; however, it is clear that loricae squamatae were made specifically for this purpose, though at a later date, and since the 'game' involved the throwing of wooden javelins at troopers acting as targets, one might expect that at least the 'targets' wore some protection during the first century.
1988, Simkins, Michael, Warriors of Rome : an illustrated military history of the Roman Legions, page 88In distinguishing the various types of loricae modern scholars coined the following names: loricae hamatae (consisting of ring mail), loricae squamatae (made up of small sections of metal sheet, less flexible than the loricae hamatae) and loricae segmentatae (made of strips of iron sheet articulated on leather straps).
2005, Boeft, Jan den; Hengst, Daniel den; Drijvers, Jan Willem; Teitler, H. C., chapter 1.1, in Philological and historical commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus. [Vol. 12]: XXV, page 4
Cite this entry
loricae squamatae. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loricae%20squamatae
“loricae squamatae.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loricae%20squamatae. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “loricae squamatae,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loricae%20squamatae.
Source: loricae squamatae on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.