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

[FlaviusCrispus]

Here's the excerpt from Epitome of Dio Cassius, book 79, para. 3:

"...For, though he was most bold with his threats and most reckless in his undertakings, yet he was the greatest coward in the face of danger and the greatest weakling in the presence of hardships. He could no longer bear great heat or the weight of armour, and therefore wore sleeved tunics fashioned more or less like a breastplate, so that, by creating the impression of armour without its weight, he could be safe from plots and at the same time rouse admiration.

Italics are mine.

Now, this translation reads somewhat differently than the version I've seen, which I'm pretty sure says "he wore a breastplate of linen fashioned to look like a metal one," or something quite similar.

In any case, the impression I get here is that true armor was heavy-- i.e. metal, but that Caracalla wore this kind of fabric "faux" armor because he was a "weakling." Dio seems to be implying that any real emperor worth his salt would wear the real deal.

I'll see if I can get out my original Loeb edition and find the Greek. Be interesting to see what Greek words are used for "breastplate" and "armor" and such.

Another interesting passage from the same biography shows this affectation for fabric armor may have had something to do with his idolization of Alexander the Great:

Book 78, para. 7: "He organized a phalanx, composed entirely of Macedonians, sixteen thousand strong, named it "Alexander's phalanx," and equipped it with the arms that warriors had used in his day; 2 these consisted of a helmet of raw ox-hide, a three-ply linen breastplate, a bronze shield, long pike, short spear, high boots, and sword."

Interesting that the materials for each item are specified -- raw ox hide for the helmets, three-ply linen for the cuirasses. Linen cuirasses are well-attested in the Greek world (though three plies seems a little light), but not ox hide helmets. It would appear that ox hide was regarded as having some defensive qualities if one were to make a helmet out of it... unless Dio is trying to point out how ridiculous this anachronistic enterprise was.