Was the Lorica REALLY polished?

[Anonymous]

In reply to the above question about the Latin leading to the English "shining/gleaming" for armour, I think that this does work as an accurate translation of the Latin. The four main words used to describe armour (see Sander van Dorst's earlier post with the sources) all have this connotation.<br>
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FULGEO/FULGENS is used of fire, lightning, gold and stars among other things, so there's a real implication of "glittering/gleaming" here. Same for SPLENDEO/SPLENDOR (again, often used for stars, eyes, gold). The adjective CORUSCUS has the same overtones (lightning, sun, lamps, gold...).<br>
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NITIDUS is even more precise; Ammianus 16.10.8 uses the phrase "nitidis loricis indutus", "wearing gleaming loricas"; in fact, nitidus can often mean not just shiny but POLISHED (e.g it is used of ivory, which does not really "gleam" unless polished). It is also used of fish-scales; I am not sure what armour the troops in this passage would be wearing, but "nitidus" would be dead right for scale armour.<br>
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So I think that the linguistic evidence is in favour of shiny armour. I am not competent to comment on the artistic evidence.<br>
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Shaun <p></p><i></i>