RomanArmyTalk

Came across this in the collection of the Walters Museum in Baltimore, after Vorti posted a collection of Flickr photos.

Anyone else think he's wearing a montefortino or coolus, and some type of lamellar?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4412432468 ... tasdotnet/

Or some kind of linothorax with decorative bands or something? Maybe the lines and braid are supposed to be paint patterns or something.

Actually a linothorax is a good suggestion, and the detail doesn't even need to be painted. Could be scales or plates on the cuirass.

I think it's a really interesting representation.

To me it looks very much like this Etruscan statue which both have short pteruges.

I mentioned it in this older thread and asked if it was lamellar but some people mentioned the counter possibility that it was a linothorax based on color wall paintings which depict similar looking armor painted in white.

Peter Connolly wrote in his book that he interpreted it as lamellar but he may have revised his assessment since the time he published it all those years ago.

~Theo

Beat me to it Theo !!

I posted on the other thread that it looks more typically Etruscan to me, and wondered why it was identified as "Roman".......... we'd need to know the context, and evn then, given Rome's fascination with all things Etruscan, it could be a 'collectors piece'.......I very strongly doubt it is 'Roman'. :? ?

The helmet also looks Etruscan. I have held an actual bronze Etruscan helmet (which is incredibly heavy !) and it looks very similar to the Roman Montefortino with it's knob.

Quote:Beat me to it Theo !!

I posted on the other thread that it looks more typically Etruscan to me, and wondered why it was identified as "Roman".......... we'd need to know the context, and evn then, given Rome's fascination with all things Etruscan, it could be a 'collectors piece'.......I very strongly doubt it is 'Roman'.

Yes, I saw that too. GMTA

And I agree with your assessment.


~Theo

Be interesting to find out more still. I might contact the museum. It's sometimes easy to pigeonhole something and forget about it :wink:

There are several other figurines of Italic warriors from the 4th to the 2nd C. BC which are very similar to this one, but I've never seen the Etruscan cuirass on one before. Mostly they carry scuta and wear Montefortino helmets, and I think many of them are from Samnite contexts.

Given the position of the figure's left hand, it looks like he was holding something since lost. Could have been a scutum or pilum/hasta?

Some sort of spear I would imagine. His hand guesture intrigues me..I wonder if it was just a pose, or if there was a story behind the figure.... :?