Types Of Plate Armor

Infantrymen in ancient Greece wore bronze plate armor, including a cuirass, greaves (leg armor) that went down to the knee, and a deep helmet. A Roman legionary’s cuirass was a cylindrical armor constructed from four to seven horizontal hoops of steel-strung together at the front and back. The plate armor was in different forms as the years went by. The following are the types of plate armor that evolved over the years.

 

  • Single Plate Armor: Plate armor grew in popularity over time, protecting more of the body and even the horse of a cavalryman’s mounted troops. Armorers honed their craft by learning to adapt each armor suit to its wearer. Only the rich with a real commitment to soldiering or jousting could afford a full set of high-quality fitted armor instead of the cheaper munition armor (the equivalent of ready-to-wear). The remainder of an army typically wore a mishmash of different types of armor, while mail was still a crucial component.
  • Fluted Plate Armor: The fluted plate armor became popular in the late 13th century. Apart from being a decorative piece, the fluting on the plate also strengthened it so that it would not bend when subjected to a sharp blow. Flutes tend to catch piercing blows, but this counteracts that. Many warriors wore a mail shirt (haubergeon or hauberk) under their plate armor. Additional protection for plate armor came in the form of small, round plates called besagews, which the soldiers wore under the arms and over the “wings” of poleyns to shield the interior of the joints.

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