Breastplates during Punic Wars

[Johnny Shumate]

During the 2nd Punic War, how popular was the bronze breastplate within the infantry? I'm not talking about the square pectoral plate, but the full muscle breast/back plate....
Johnny

[Et tu brute]

I doubt It would be used by the normal troops (perhaps the triarii) but officers and commander maybe?

[Matthew]

I think Polybius indicates that the richer Citizen Soldiers wore Mail, but I can't be sure of the translation. On the other hand, I wouldn't be too surprised to find some of the soldiery decked out in archaic Bronze Breast Plates or some such thing, especially considering the supposed casualty rates and implied loss of equipment. There may be better evidence in the art of the period...

Matthew James Stanham

[Paullus]

There are Roman infantry shown on the Aemilius Paullus Monument at Delphi, dating back to 168 to 167 BC, wearing muscled bronze cuirasses. These may be the Ligurians that marched with the army during the Third Macedonian War. The information is taken from the Osprey book "Republican Roman Army 200 - 104 BC" by Simon Northwood. Being Osprey a touch of salt is in order, but none of my other books give any information regarding the Punic War and muscled cuirasses or the Aemilius Monument.

But I would not find it out of line to suggest that while Romans might not have worn muscled cuirasses it would not be a stretch to think that many of their Italian allies during the period might have.

[Crispvs]

"Being Osprey a touch of salt is in order, but none of my other books give any information regarding the Punic War and muscled cuirasses or the Aemilius Monument. "

Try Robinson. He discusses the armour depicted on the monument.

Crispvs