04-01-2007, 02:17 AM
Quote: Lastly, I wrote up a short essay on the possibility that Roman Officers wore chain maile under their leather cuirass when in battle. The logic being... infantry wore chain maile, the Centurions would wear maile but placed decorated leather straps over it, so then... logically, an officer would wear maile and place his leather muscle armor over it as well.
Umm, got evidence? Sorry, but I'm puzzled as to why a Roman aristocrat would go to such lengths, when he could simply wear a bronze cuirass? It would be thinner, lighter, and shinier than heavy leather over mail, not to mention it would be the traditional Hellenistic fashion (which is why they dressed that way in the first place). I just don't think it's a good idea to apply modern ideas of "logic" to Roman behavior.
Yes, we know leather or hide armor of some sort existed, though for all the searching and theorizing and speculation it really seems to have been comparatively rare. And we know some aristocrats are portrayed in something that is clearly soft and could be leather, but generally this is for formal portraiture, not a realistic battle depiction. At the very least, we're talking two completely different things, here!
So why can't a tribune or legate's battle cuirass just be bronze? (Heck, or iron?) Looks good, works just fine.
Vale,
Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
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Legio XX, USA
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