08-09-2016, 04:30 PM
The problem with discussing who had what armor is that the sources are contradictory, archaeology provides more contradictory info, and iconography simply destroys theories.
Polybius says miles gregarius wore pectorales, but those with over 10,000 Drachmae wore mail. Where does that cost fit in the property class of the Romans? Who had more than that?
Its hard to even to figure out the worth of a Drachma in relation to a Denarii. Were they equal? Some say. What about the Attic Drachma? The property requirements changed often over time during the Republic but the figures for all the classes was never written out completely, just small figures here and there.
You mentioned early in this thread about the cost of mail. You've still not produced a source. Was 10,000 Drachmae the cost? If so, that equates to about 10,000 days worth of labor for a skilled worker, to put that in perspective. That seems a bit steep for a piece of armor. So instead, was it just that they expected someone whose net worth of 10,000 Drachmae to be able to afford said armor? More likely. How did Polybius come to that number? He probably got it from the census class requirement, though he doesn't mention it. So according to Polybius, everyone under a certain property class were required to at least possess pectorales, over a certain class they were expected to have mail. But then again this is Polybius, who wrote Book 6 in with a very black and white description of Roman organization and equipment, with no grey area, which was more the case of reality. Understandable since he was simply trying to illustrate to his fellow Greeks how and why the Romans had beaten the Greeks.
Polybius says miles gregarius wore pectorales, but those with over 10,000 Drachmae wore mail. Where does that cost fit in the property class of the Romans? Who had more than that?
Its hard to even to figure out the worth of a Drachma in relation to a Denarii. Were they equal? Some say. What about the Attic Drachma? The property requirements changed often over time during the Republic but the figures for all the classes was never written out completely, just small figures here and there.
You mentioned early in this thread about the cost of mail. You've still not produced a source. Was 10,000 Drachmae the cost? If so, that equates to about 10,000 days worth of labor for a skilled worker, to put that in perspective. That seems a bit steep for a piece of armor. So instead, was it just that they expected someone whose net worth of 10,000 Drachmae to be able to afford said armor? More likely. How did Polybius come to that number? He probably got it from the census class requirement, though he doesn't mention it. So according to Polybius, everyone under a certain property class were required to at least possess pectorales, over a certain class they were expected to have mail. But then again this is Polybius, who wrote Book 6 in with a very black and white description of Roman organization and equipment, with no grey area, which was more the case of reality. Understandable since he was simply trying to illustrate to his fellow Greeks how and why the Romans had beaten the Greeks.
