Is there any evidence for Camillan/polybian period legionaries wearing boiled leather armour either with or without the pectoral plate. My understanding was the the plate was worn on it's own, but a discussion elsewhere has suggested otherwise. Any suggestions? <p></p><i></i>
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This idea was popularised by Phil Barker's "Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars", about 1970, which showed a Republican legionary wearing a leather jerkin under the pectoral plate. Lots of old wargames figures copied him. But I think it may derive ultimately from one of Couissin's reconstructions in Les Armes Romaines (1926). I have no idea whether Couissin adduced any evidence for it, or if he just assumed it would be a practical measure to stop the plate chafing. <p></p><i></i>
Well, the only evidence I'm aware of regarding pectorales is pictorial and it does not show anything under the plate, besides the tunic.<br>
Surprisingly enough, I may say. Maybe the pectorale itself was padded.. <p></p><i></i>
I know that at least some Italic armor shows a line of tiny holes around the edges implying that some sort of perishable backing was sewn on.<br>
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Notice around the edges of this triple-disc cuirass from Paestum dated c.380-370 BCE:<br>
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<img src="http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v293/DannoUlpius/paestum/panoply1.jpg" style="border:0;"/><br>
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Samnite belts show similar holes, eg. [url=http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v293/DannoUlpius/rd2004/panoply02lg.jpg" target="top]here[/url] and [url=http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v293/DannoUlpius/paestum/xiphosandbelt.jpg" target="top]here[/url] <p></p><i></i>