Roman Legions During Gallic Wars

[hruza]

When you talk about bronze corrosion protecting it from further damage, I presume you mean the common verdigris that forms on copper/bronze?

Yes. Many other metals corrode that way including cooper or silver.

I read that it is possible in some conditions for copper and its alloys to suffer serious corrosion that, like rust in iron, will go deeper and deeper into an object, destroying it. It's down to different processes than those which produce the benign patina/verdigris.

That's true. Under certain conditions. If I remember right, in common contact with salt water for example. But in common use bronze had huge advantage over iron/steel in this respect.