05-12-2007, 05:43 PM
Paul, some thoughts.
IMHO "thorax" just means body armour.
Alcaeus fr. 140 mentions what sound rather like hoplite arms, which did emerge early. "The high hall is agleam with bronze; the roof is all arrayed with shining helms, and white horse plumes to ornament men's heads nod from their crests. Bright greaves of bronze to keep strong arrows off cover the unseen pegs, and corselets of new linen, and a pile of convex shields. Chalcidician swords are there, and belts in plenty, tunics too. We can't forget this store now that we've taken on this task." (tr. M. L. West). The only thing missing is the spear, which was the standard Greek weapon in all periods after the Bronze Age.
Herodotus describes one type of armament for each people. By saying some people were armed like Greeks, he could both tell his audience that their gear looked familiar and imply that they used the different types of armour common in Greece while saving space. He remarks on Mesopotamian bronze helmets, for example, not because the Greeks didn't use bronze helmets but because they were shaped strangely. I know of no evidence for what type of Egyptian armour he believes the Persians adopted. Scale armour was common in Egypt too.
When did Pollux write, and when did the Sophocles he referred to live? There were many Sophocleses in addition to the tragic playwright.
The protective capabilities of linen depend on thickness. Thus a relatively thin armour of quilted linen (perhaps ten or fifteen layers) would have the protective capacities you attribute to the linothorax.
IMHO "thorax" just means body armour.
Alcaeus fr. 140 mentions what sound rather like hoplite arms, which did emerge early. "The high hall is agleam with bronze; the roof is all arrayed with shining helms, and white horse plumes to ornament men's heads nod from their crests. Bright greaves of bronze to keep strong arrows off cover the unseen pegs, and corselets of new linen, and a pile of convex shields. Chalcidician swords are there, and belts in plenty, tunics too. We can't forget this store now that we've taken on this task." (tr. M. L. West). The only thing missing is the spear, which was the standard Greek weapon in all periods after the Bronze Age.
Herodotus describes one type of armament for each people. By saying some people were armed like Greeks, he could both tell his audience that their gear looked familiar and imply that they used the different types of armour common in Greece while saving space. He remarks on Mesopotamian bronze helmets, for example, not because the Greeks didn't use bronze helmets but because they were shaped strangely. I know of no evidence for what type of Egyptian armour he believes the Persians adopted. Scale armour was common in Egypt too.
When did Pollux write, and when did the Sophocles he referred to live? There were many Sophocleses in addition to the tragic playwright.
The protective capabilities of linen depend on thickness. Thus a relatively thin armour of quilted linen (perhaps ten or fifteen layers) would have the protective capacities you attribute to the linothorax.
Nullis in verba
I have not checked this forum frequently since 2013, but I hope that these old posts have some value. I now have a blog on books, swords, and the curious things humans do with them.
I have not checked this forum frequently since 2013, but I hope that these old posts have some value. I now have a blog on books, swords, and the curious things humans do with them.
