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Quote:28 Saying this, and bidding his men be of good courage, he crossed the river, and led the way in person against the enemy. He wore a steel breastplate of glittering scales, and a tasselled cloak, and at once let his sword flash forth from its scabbard, indicating that they must forthwith come to close quarters with men who fought with long range missiles, and eliminate, by the rapidity of their onset, the space in which archery would be effective. 2 But when he saw that the mail-clad horsemen, on whom
I couldn´t find the Greek text, though.
Christian K.
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I tried to search for the Greek text also, but there doesn't seem to be one online. I did find a different English translation.
From Plutarch's life of Lucullus at the battle of Tigranocerta:
Quote:Having so said, he bade them take courage, passed over the river, and himself first of all led them against the enemy, clad in a coat of mail, with shining steel scales and a fringed mantle; and his sword might already be seen out of the scabbard, as if to signify that they must without delay come to a hand-to-hand combat with an enemy whose skill was in distant fighting, and by the speed of their advance curtail the space that exposed them to the archery.But when he saw the heavy-armed horse, the flower of the army
It's a bit more poetic, and this author probably doesn't care about scale armour.
Michael Griffin
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Here is the Greek.
M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER
(Alexander Kyrychenko)
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Ok Thanks to Alexander for posting the Greek.
I was just checking the language used to see if the intrepretation of scale armour is correct.
All these terms are from the third line of the text in the post above this one.
Thorax= standard term fro breastplate of some kind
siderow= iron
folidoton= scaled-- this word is used to describe fish, lizards ( Pisces and Scorpio of the Zodiac for example) armour, and lastly the some types of flowers called catkins.
apostilbonta= adj. shining.
So we've got a iron/steel breastplate that is very shiny and it has a fish scale like appearance.
So plutarch is describing some sort of scale armour. The only question is do we want to trust him.
Michael Griffin
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Quote:The only question is do we want to trust him.
Well, if he was wearing only one sandle, definitely don't trust him! Beware of a Greek wearing one sandle...whether he's bearing a gift or not.
M. Demetrius Abicio
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Refering to the story of - who was it again - Theseus? and "Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes" in one time? Nice one. :lol:
Valete,
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It's from the Aeneid. Book II line 49. The line is part of a speech spoken by of Laocoon.
Michael Griffin
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I know.  I was not certain about the first part, about the one sandal. (The One Sandal, sounds like the One Ring) I wasn't sure which Greek hero was that story about.
Valete,
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I misread your first comment then. Sorry about that.
The one sandaled Greek is Jason. It was foretold to Pelias that a one-sandaled man would kill him, and then Jason showed up. Jason did the golden fleece quest, and then worked with Medea to kill Pelias.
Michael Griffin
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Good job, guys!
M. Demetrius Abicio
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Quote:I misread your first comment then. Sorry about that.
The one sandaled Greek is Jason. It was foretold to Pelias that a one-sandaled man would kill him, and then Jason showed up. Jason did the golden fleece quest, and then worked with Medea to kill Pelias.
Yes, now I remember. I knew the story but the name didn't want to come. 
Valete,
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In Peter Connolly's "Greece and Rome at War", on page 81, there's a drawing of an Etruscan urn showing a soldier wearing a quilted linen cuirass with scales covering the chest, shoulders, and stomach. Very interesting.
~Theo
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Does anyone know of a specific Augustan scale(s) find? I browsed Dangstetten 1 now, and A-Oberhausen, and Haltern but couldn´t find any. Or was I just not paying enough attention... ;-) )
Christian K.
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Bump. Anyone here aver stumbled over an augustan scale? 
Christian K.
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In the H. R. Robinson page 158 plate 450 he shows a picture of a Legionary wearing squamata with reinforcing shoulder straps from a late Augustan relief Palazzo Ducale Mantua
Brian Stobbs
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