Roman Armour
The Roman armour consisted of three different types of protection: chain mail, plates, and solid metal. Chain mail was cheapest and could really only protect the soldier from slashing but not stabbing. Plate armour was comprised of many metal plates overlapping each other. The plate armour was more expensive than the chain mail and gave protection from slashing as well as stabbing.The solid metal armor was the most costly and could be afforded only by wealthy people. It gave no more protection than the plate armour, but it looked more impressive on the battlefield.
Modern Armor
Modern battle armour is often made out of Kevlar, which is a synthetic fabric which can stop knives and small-caliber bullets. There is also a new type of body armour called Dragon Skin. It consists of two-inch-wide circular discs which overlap each other. It is lighter and can absorb many more hits compared to Kevlar. This is similar to the Roman overlapping plated metal armour.
Roman Helmets
Head protection has been important on the battlefield since ancient times because the head is the most important part of the body. The helmet had a back piece which was meant to protect the neck, especially from overhead attack during siege warfare. There was also a side piece on the helmet to protect the face from sword and javelin thrusts. One of the bad features of such a helmet was its excessive weight. The crest of the helmet was made of horsehair. It was used to indicate the rank of the wearer. It was sometimes even used as a broom.
Modern Helmets
The modern helmet is meant to protect the head just like the Roman helmet. It is lighter and more comfortable than the Roman helmet because it is made of modern synthetic materials, like Kevlar. The modern helmet gives much better protection to the whole head, including the eyes and the mouth. The modern helmet, like the Roman helmet, allows the soldier to hear clearly what is going on around him.
References
- http://www.thevikingstore.co.uk/larp-pax-armour-822-p.asp
- https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/plate-inserts-for-us-body-armor-04416/
- http://ukarmedforcescommentary.blogspot.ca/2011_07_01_archive.html