Linothorax design/construction

[PMBardunias]

You can't make a linothorax out of metal plates that looks the same as the relevant illustrations. The only viable options are layered linen (either glued or quilted) or leather/hide.

Why would a composite cuirasse of metal plates between quilted layers not fit the relevant illustrations? Since there is no obvious quilting to be seen, even rectangular pads of quilt would have had to have been faced with a smooth outer shell. Some vases seem to portray an obvious brigandine style armor. What I suggest is that at least early on there were large chest and belly plates within the layers.

The idea that you cover the Vergina cuirasse and get a linothorax I disagree with. The vergina is obviously a linothorax remade all in metal- like a pilos helm was a fabric original remade as metal. It has nothing to do with the evolution of the linothorax and would look the same no matter what the original was made of.

Once you showed me those Kendo armors you convinced me that glueing is unlikely unless some new evidence surfaces, but even those armors had a metal, now fibreglas, breast plate. It's so eazy to simply sandwich in metal plates where need be once you are quilting that there would have to be a compelling reason not to. I would need to be convinced that 17 layers of quilted linen is better protection that 13 and a bronze plate.

We also need an intermediary from bronze to all quilted. Composite fits this bill. Otherwise we have to figure out where the all quilted comes from. Usually these new lighter armors come from arming jackets, but I am unconvinced that the bell cuirasse had such a heavy padded undergarment. With no intermediary it would have had to been imported from another culture or adopted from lower class warriors who never wore all bronze.

The scheme I set up is a logical progression in lightening armor, not, dare I say it, a new armor type out of whole cloth.