Armor

Armor, by definition, is the set of defensive pieces with which combatants were clad. 

The first armors began to be used in the second millennium BC, in what we now know as the Near East. Later, the Egyptians copied and adapted the Syro-Palestinian models of their armor to their needs. The Greeks and Romans also contributed much to the development of armor design.

The first armors were made of animal skins. Subsequently, leather, and later different metals, began to be used as material to protect the body from an enemy sword attack.

At first, armor did not cover the entire body of the warrior, but only the most important parts, such as the head and torso, as a wound in any of these could cause immediate death. Only in the Late Middle Ages did full body armor begin to be used, that is, armor in its most classic sense, as we are accustomed to imagining it.         

Types of Armor

Greek or Spartan Hoplite Armor

Greek warriors or hoplites, as they are also known, wore a leather cuirass covered with metal plates and greaves for leg protection. Often, an even simpler type of armor was used, consisting of a breastplate and backplate, joined by leather straps. In addition, these warriors were equipped with a helmet, which could be of different shapes, but the most popular was one with a visor and a nasal appendage. The neck and groin area remained unprotected.

Roman Armor

In Ancient Rome, we find different types of armor, depending on the rank and type of soldier to which it belonged.

The armor worn by the Romans during the 1st century BC - 3rd century AD was called Lorica Segmentata. It was composed of several metal bands, usually made of iron. The pieces of this armor were joined by other vertical leather bands and were arranged horizontally over the soldier's body, thus surrounding his chest and back.

Later, the Romans began to use another type of armor, called Lorica Hamata. It was chainmail armor, usually made of bronze or iron. Its structure consisted of a series of rows of vertical and horizontal rings intertwined with each other, which were approximately 5 to 7 mm in diameter. It was very flexible and resistant armor.

Among the Roman armors, it is also worth noting the armor used by the gladiators, which consisted of a large oblong shield, a helmet with a visor, crest and feathered plume, an ocrea or greave on the left leg, and a leather or metal bracer that partially covered the shoulder on the right arm.

Mongol Armor

Mongol warriors often used light armor worn over silk shirts. This type of armor was perfect for protecting against archer attacks, as the silk would wrap around the arrow and penetrate the wound with it, which greatly softened the blow and allowed the warrior to pull out the arrow without much harm. However, these armors were not as effective for hand-to-hand combat.

Eastern Armor

Eastern armor consisted of hundreds of rectangular pieces of iron, leather, or bronze. These pieces had small holes in different areas, through which they were linked together in horizontal rows. The leather laminae were hardened with a special process. Eastern armor was designed to be as light as possible. To protect the lower body, they used a flared skirt called kusazuri.

Norman Armor

Norman armor differed from others mainly by its double chainmail reinforcement, despite which it remained light and even comfortable to wear, both for foot soldiers and cavalry. The legs were often protected by open-backed cuisses. The helmet had nasal protection and could be a single piece or four segments joined by four iron bands topped by a circular piece on top.

<h3">Medieval Armor

In the Middle Ages, armor became those wonderful historical pieces that immediately come to mind when we hear the word "armor". They were complex articulated constructions, sometimes having up to 250 different pieces and weighing between 25 and 45 kg. The most important pieces were reduced to about 25, distributed over the head, torso, upper and lower limbs.

In general, we can state that each of the medieval armors had its peculiarities, meaning they were unique pieces. The biggest differences, which can also be seen at first glance, are found between the Crusader armors and the Conquistador armors.

Crusader Armors

During the Crusades, the armor used was called the lorica, and it was made of chainmail. The mail was worn over a padded jerkin, known as a gambeson, which served to cushion blows from enemies. Over the lorica, a metal coat was placed, which, over time, would be adorned with distinctive emblems and symbols.

Among the most important elements of the medieval Crusader armor, we can name the following:

·         The helmet or "Crusader helmet".

·         Chainmail.

·         Cuirass.

·         Upper limbs.

·         Lower limbs.

·         Tunic.

Conquistador Armor

Conquistadors rarely used full armor, almost never, for several reasons. The first is that this equipment was very expensive. The second is that, without full armor, soldiers had much more freedom and agility of movement. And finally, the very hot and humid climate of the New World made the use of full armor exhausting.

Among the most important elements of Conquistador armor, we can list the following:

·         The helmet.

·         Chainmail.

·         The shield.

·         The breastplate.

In this category, we offer you the chance to discover both complete and partial armors, so you can display them in a historical reenactment or movie, or perhaps give a special and unique touch to your home. So, if you like to travel back in time, this category is for you.

Replicas of medieval armor and accessories from the Exclusive "Historical Armor Collection" manufactured by MARTO.