Glued Linen Armour- a simple test

[John Conyard]

I'm grateful to Paullus Scipio for restating the comments made on other threads. I suspect like many others I don't wish to go over old ground. But it does seem as if I need to re-examine my assumptions.

I am intrigued by the posible translations of Platarch. It triggered a memory of something in Strabo. I've spent some time this morning trying to consider what could possibly be meant. Greeks and Persians fought against Alexander at Issus, so does the armour have to be Persian? And does it have to be more protective? Or just lighter and more comfortable?

The line from Plutarch could mean quilted linen armour.
[attachment=0:1yygtikn]<!-- ia0 quilted.jpg<!-- ia0 [/attachment:1yygtikn]

It could mean armour of very thick linen, like canvas. Perhaps something like this is seen occassionally worn by hoplites.
[attachment=1:1yygtikn]<!-- ia1 Louvre%20iv%207-1.jpg<!-- ia1 [/attachment:1yygtikn]

Or it could perhaps mean two layers of linen, and some illustrations do show Persians wearing more than one tunic.

As a sort of control I checked this against the comment in Strabo. Strabo (XV.3.xix) says Persian commanders wore what is commonly given as "three-ply trousers and a sleeved double tunic". Certainly thick trousers would be useful for riding. But illustrations sometimes seem to show quilted trousers. Or perhaps the quote means long underwear, tight trousers and loose riding hose all worn to make up three layers. Certainly it precludes any form of stiff material, in which you could not ride.

It think we must acknowledge that we are taking about armour, so layers of clothing can be discounted. Thick linen is a possiblity, perhaps stiffened in some way in the case of armour. We could assume that Persians trousers were thicker than Alexander's armour. However the diameter of the linen thread used may not be consistant, while noting that strong trousers may have been needed when fighting a God king. However there are enough artistic renditions of quilting to make it the most likely, and the most effective.