08-31-2016, 04:24 AM
No-one here is "dismissing" the 19C for after all, Classics and ancient history were far more popular then than now.
Unfortunately the two reference you give are both erroneous and inaccurate, partly as a result of far more knowledge being available now, particularly in the field of archaeology.
Both passages, the second one in particular, are based on Herodotus' description of Xerxes army, VII.60 ff. In the first one the author has anachronistically conflated neo-Assyrian friezes (8-7 BC)with Herodotus’ description of Assyrian troops (5 BC) wearing ‘lineous thoraka’[VII.63.1] – the construction is not described by Herodotus and seems to be imagination. The Romans of course did not generally use linen armour militarily – unless the author has in mind Pausanias’ description of them being used for hunting or Caracalla’s re-creation of Alexander’s phalanx:
"He organized a phalanx, composed entirely of Macedonians, sixteen thousand strong, named it "Alexander's phalanx," and equipped it with the arms that warriors had used in his day; these consisted of a helmet of raw ox-hide, a three-ply linen breastplate, a bronze shield, long pike, short spear, high boots, and sword." - Dio LXXXVIII.7.1-2 ( The first re-enactors? LOL!).
Like Plutarch's 'two-ply' linen corselet of Alexander, the 'three ply' here clearly implies a qulilted construction, and certainly not 12-18 'glued' thin linen sheets.
We actually know more now about Assyrian body armour than Greek, thanks to a combination of iconography, archaeology in the 20 C, and, believe it or not, literature – there are extant lists complete with descriptions of the armour, which was scale (metal plates fastened to a leather garment overlapping downward) or lamellar(metal plates attached to each other, overlapping upward), not glued linen. The scales were of iron, bronze, copper or leather.
The second piece is just as erroneous. Herodotus doesn’t mention linen at all in connection with the Persians, just armour “looking like the scales of a fish”, though iconography shows Persians in Tube-and-Yoke corselets as well. The reference to ‘mail coif’ is anachronistic, mail was invented by the Celts in the late 4 BC. Herodotus does not mention ‘linen’ corselets for the Egyptians only that they were ‘thorakaphoroi’/wearers of body armour. [digression: scale armour is supposedly an Egyptian invention, and Tutankhamun had leather scale armour, mounted on a linen undergarment, perhaps an indication of how costly linen was.]Where the 18 layers glued together comes from is again probably imagination, or perhaps echoing the earlier piece. The Romans did not use linen armour militarily (see above) and again this may be echoing the earlier piece. As Paul B. has pointed out, the 'wine and salt' is probably a reference to Pliny, who advocated hardening felt with vinegar so as to be a form of armour.
Unfortunately the two reference you give are both erroneous and inaccurate, partly as a result of far more knowledge being available now, particularly in the field of archaeology.
Both passages, the second one in particular, are based on Herodotus' description of Xerxes army, VII.60 ff. In the first one the author has anachronistically conflated neo-Assyrian friezes (8-7 BC)with Herodotus’ description of Assyrian troops (5 BC) wearing ‘lineous thoraka’[VII.63.1] – the construction is not described by Herodotus and seems to be imagination. The Romans of course did not generally use linen armour militarily – unless the author has in mind Pausanias’ description of them being used for hunting or Caracalla’s re-creation of Alexander’s phalanx:
"He organized a phalanx, composed entirely of Macedonians, sixteen thousand strong, named it "Alexander's phalanx," and equipped it with the arms that warriors had used in his day; these consisted of a helmet of raw ox-hide, a three-ply linen breastplate, a bronze shield, long pike, short spear, high boots, and sword." - Dio LXXXVIII.7.1-2 ( The first re-enactors? LOL!).
Like Plutarch's 'two-ply' linen corselet of Alexander, the 'three ply' here clearly implies a qulilted construction, and certainly not 12-18 'glued' thin linen sheets.
We actually know more now about Assyrian body armour than Greek, thanks to a combination of iconography, archaeology in the 20 C, and, believe it or not, literature – there are extant lists complete with descriptions of the armour, which was scale (metal plates fastened to a leather garment overlapping downward) or lamellar(metal plates attached to each other, overlapping upward), not glued linen. The scales were of iron, bronze, copper or leather.
The second piece is just as erroneous. Herodotus doesn’t mention linen at all in connection with the Persians, just armour “looking like the scales of a fish”, though iconography shows Persians in Tube-and-Yoke corselets as well. The reference to ‘mail coif’ is anachronistic, mail was invented by the Celts in the late 4 BC. Herodotus does not mention ‘linen’ corselets for the Egyptians only that they were ‘thorakaphoroi’/wearers of body armour. [digression: scale armour is supposedly an Egyptian invention, and Tutankhamun had leather scale armour, mounted on a linen undergarment, perhaps an indication of how costly linen was.]Where the 18 layers glued together comes from is again probably imagination, or perhaps echoing the earlier piece. The Romans did not use linen armour militarily (see above) and again this may be echoing the earlier piece. As Paul B. has pointed out, the 'wine and salt' is probably a reference to Pliny, who advocated hardening felt with vinegar so as to be a form of armour.
"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
