Leather Cuirass Lorica Musculata, I used to think no way but

[Dan Howard]

I am reading many interesting points however; with respect to the statements that the artist is using ‘artistic license’ due please note that these portraits, as the majority of Roman sculpture of living individuals, showed every wrinkle, every double chin, and every reseeding hair line. The sculptor didn’t use artistic license to make Vitellius ugly and extra fat, or wrinkles Pompey’s forehead, or make an older Caesar look more sickly… instead they strived to make the sculptures appear as real as possible.

Irrelevant unless you can demonstrate that all the sculptures we are looking at were done by the same artist. Not every artist has the same interpretation. Not every artist has the same brief when given a commission.

Dan: with respect… I do not believe the Emperors are wearing a costume as much as they are possibly not wearing their full battle armor. I agree that a lorica made of linen or leather would not be ideal in battle alone.

How do you define "armour". IMO if it doesn't have a chance of resisting the most common weapons on a contemporary battlefield then it cannot meet this definition. Anything as flexible as these things you are showing in these scupltures cannot be defined as armour. It must therefore be costume.

BTW has anyone ever demonstrasted that the Romans actually HAD parade armour? Just because some medieval cultures used it doesn't mean that everyone else did too.