was a cuirass, brigantine, or coat of mail, in use among the Roman soldiers. It was generally made of leather, and is supposed to be derived from lorum.—The loricae were fet with plates of metal in various forms; sometimes in hooks or rings like a chain, sometimes like feathers, and sometimes like the scales of serpents or fishes, to which plates of gold were often added. There were other lighter cuirasses consisting only of many folds of linen cloth, or of flax made strong enough to resist weapons. Such soldiers as were rated under 1000 drachms, instead of the lorica now described, wore a petorale.—The Roman lorica was made like a shirt, and defended the wearer both before and behind; but was so contrived that the back part could be occasionally separated from the front. Some of the loricae were made of cords of hemp or flax, close set together; whence they are called thoraces, bilices, trilices, &c. from the number of the cords fixed one upon another; but these were used rather in hunting than in the field of battle.