07-16-2005, 10:10 PM
Well, I suppose it depends on how much protection was offered by the jack and how much was offered by the mail but I think Jason is on the right track. Personally I think that a 16-20 layer linothorax would be capable of resisting all but the heaviest bows of the time - certainly at battlefield distances. When this armour was first developed I reckon that the most likely threat on the battlefield would have been from arrows. Many of the steppe cultures used a similarly layered construction, only from leather, and arrows would be the greatest threat in these cases also.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books