01-16-2006, 02:24 PM
What you describe, Matthew, remains a fairly heavily-armed chap, in most cases (especially the Romans' - and they seem to have gone back to more armour after the Dacian wars). But John does seem to be arguing for a reduction in quantity of armour, not a total loss of it.
Having your armour carried in a cart can't be viewed as doing without it, though.
I've seen some of the armour that survives from the Spanish Conquista and at least some of those chaps ( the ones whose names have come down to us) were wearing an astonishing amount. This may have been partly a tribute to the psychological effect of appearing like a giant insect to the enemy.
Looking back at what John wrote, I don't think our views are as far apart as they seemed on first reading.
Having your armour carried in a cart can't be viewed as doing without it, though.
I've seen some of the armour that survives from the Spanish Conquista and at least some of those chaps ( the ones whose names have come down to us) were wearing an astonishing amount. This may have been partly a tribute to the psychological effect of appearing like a giant insect to the enemy.
Looking back at what John wrote, I don't think our views are as far apart as they seemed on first reading.