05-22-2007, 06:19 AM
I have both a segmentata, and mail. I fight in mail, suitably padded, but not the segmentata.Under the segmentata, I wear a sheepskin shoulder yoke, which adds to comfort, and also keeps the shoulder section straight and at the correct angle.
I have often worn both all day, sometimes in very hot weather, and sweated a lot (!) but have never had chafing problems.
The point about leather/linen availability in Classical Greece has already been addressed. Given the existence of commerce and trade, we really cannot say which was "cheaper", but the point is probably not that relevant, since Hoplites by definition were the richer classes, and every other piece of Hopla was hardly "cheap".
I'm not sure your point about tests is entirely valid -even where the ancient material cannot be exactly duplicated, an approximation that is tested can tell us much, and is never completely wasted.
Apart from which, don't you think Pollux' "dictionary definition" is about as conclusive as one can ever hope for ?
I have often worn both all day, sometimes in very hot weather, and sweated a lot (!) but have never had chafing problems.
The point about leather/linen availability in Classical Greece has already been addressed. Given the existence of commerce and trade, we really cannot say which was "cheaper", but the point is probably not that relevant, since Hoplites by definition were the richer classes, and every other piece of Hopla was hardly "cheap".
I'm not sure your point about tests is entirely valid -even where the ancient material cannot be exactly duplicated, an approximation that is tested can tell us much, and is never completely wasted.
Apart from which, don't you think Pollux' "dictionary definition" is about as conclusive as one can ever hope for ?
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
