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+--- Thread: About Pteryges (/showthread.php?tid=19241)
About Pteryges - joeandmich - 07-27-2011
I have a few questions about hoplite Pteryges.
1) Are they shorter than Roman ones?
2) Were they belted on or attached to the bronze cuirass?
3) How many overlapping layers?
4) What colors did they use?
Thanks
Re: About Ptereges - Giannis K. Hoplite - 07-27-2011
I will suppose you are talkng about pteryges on a muscle cuirass only.
Their lenght varried in time. In classical and early hellenistic times they were as short as the tube and yoke cuirass, i.e. not covering the genitals but only till the groin. They were attached to the bronze cuirass,probably to the glued inner linning.
The layers also varried, from one to three. When three,the upper layer was usually very short,like a tongue,but otherwise had the same consistency as the rest. The other two layers had about the same lenght,often the inner layer not any longer than the top.
In late hellenistic times the pteryges changed material and lenght,and became what is the standard in roman art. Thin and long,covering the thighs. The layers became more,and each pteryga was overlaping with the next. They appear much softer too.
The colour of the earlier version was some times red,and i'm not sure if i have also seen white. I guess natural brown of the leather would also be used,but as you know,colours are not frequently preserved even in art,so we can't know.
I don't remember seeing colours on the later type, at least not before the roman times.
Khaire
Giannis
Re: About Pteryges - joeandmich - 07-28-2011
Did the Spartans use Pteryges as well? Does anyone have a picture or drawing they can show me?