Armor in the late fifth century bc.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Secunda does give this impression about the fourth century. Then he asks his illustrator to paint as many bronze cuirasses in an aftermath scene,as there would have been in a whole city state...or more! Were they better armored? Or just that fashion in the funerary stelae changed? In my opinion,it is just the fact that the muscled cuirass became much more usual in the fourth century-and especiall Italy- than the fifth. Thus,the fact that it's depicted and found in 4th century context doesn't necessarily mean that armies were armored with it. Far from it. The almost naked hoplites continue to appear frequently in the fourth century art. Together with a modified version of the tube & yoke, and the muscled cuirass.
To give you an idea, in the Parthenon frieze there are many armored youths. Of them,about five or six were wearing the tube & yoke cuirass,and perhaps they're more those who wear muscled cuirasses! But those are the high class Athenians in their biggest festical, of an Athens at her most glorious time.
However i have seen very few muscled cuirasses from mainland Greece, either 5th or 4th century. And i have seen dozens from South Italy,from both centuries...
In Xenophon's mercenary army which might have been a splendid army and operated in the borders between 5th and 4th centrury, Xenophon himself says that most of them didn't join the campaign in due to lack of money! They mostly joined for glory! Yet in that army,there have been much less than 50 muscled cuirasses!
No muscled cuirasses il: know of have been found in Macedonia either. "Philip's" tomb had an iron cuirass imitating the tube & yoke one, and at least one more that was organic and only some fittings remain. It's also not common in Macedonian art.
Khaire
Giannis

PS. Ahaa!!! You have missed the point which means our strategy worked! :mrgreen: Kidding. Your question i think should be kept and always be thought whatever are your own conclusions according to the evidence. RAT is a great place to have great questions :lol: