09-09-2007, 01:22 AM
Giannis, we have had this debate before, so I will keep this brief:-
1) Xenophon was a military man, so when he uses a term, it is with exactitude, he means what he says.
2)'Linothorax' is a term only Homer uses - it is not found in Herodotus, Thucydides or Xenophon. To use it of classical greek armour is akin to calling a modern rifle an 'arquebus' !! :lol:
3) Xenophon, when using the term 'Thorakes' means it in the sense of 'body-armour' and more specifically, when he uses the word alone he is clearly referring to metal body armour i.e. bronze muscle cuirass.
4) Xenophon only uses the term 'spolas/spolades' to refer to non-metal greek armour and it is clear from the context, he means the tube-and-yoke corselet seen so often in Art, and by definition it is made of leather. ( see previous threads)
5) Xenophon only uses the term 'thorakes lineoi'(thorakes/body-armour made of linen) for Asiatic armour, such as the Chalybes you refer to, never for greek armour, to my knowledge.
To paraphrase what you wrote, it is clear that when he uses 'thorax' he means 'body-armour', and from context when he uses it alone, he means metal muscle cuirass( not least because the original greek hoplite body armour was the bronze cuirass).When he means something else, he specifies, thus 'thorakes lineoi' ( body-armour made of linen)
Lastly, there can be little or no doubt that spolas/spolades means tube-and-yoke corselet of leather, by definition ( see previous threads).
All this is old ground, let us move on and not re-hash it, at least until some new evidence appears !! :wink: :wink:
1) Xenophon was a military man, so when he uses a term, it is with exactitude, he means what he says.
2)'Linothorax' is a term only Homer uses - it is not found in Herodotus, Thucydides or Xenophon. To use it of classical greek armour is akin to calling a modern rifle an 'arquebus' !! :lol:
3) Xenophon, when using the term 'Thorakes' means it in the sense of 'body-armour' and more specifically, when he uses the word alone he is clearly referring to metal body armour i.e. bronze muscle cuirass.
4) Xenophon only uses the term 'spolas/spolades' to refer to non-metal greek armour and it is clear from the context, he means the tube-and-yoke corselet seen so often in Art, and by definition it is made of leather. ( see previous threads)
5) Xenophon only uses the term 'thorakes lineoi'(thorakes/body-armour made of linen) for Asiatic armour, such as the Chalybes you refer to, never for greek armour, to my knowledge.
To paraphrase what you wrote, it is clear that when he uses 'thorax' he means 'body-armour', and from context when he uses it alone, he means metal muscle cuirass( not least because the original greek hoplite body armour was the bronze cuirass).When he means something else, he specifies, thus 'thorakes lineoi' ( body-armour made of linen)
Lastly, there can be little or no doubt that spolas/spolades means tube-and-yoke corselet of leather, by definition ( see previous threads).
All this is old ground, let us move on and not re-hash it, at least until some new evidence appears !! :wink: :wink:
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
