Lorica lintea
Lorica lintea denotes linen body armour. It is associated with Greek textile corselets commonly discussed as the linothorax. Textual references and images attest textile protection, but do not provide a single manufacturing recipe.
Layer count, joining methods and material treatment remain subjects of reconstruction and experiment. Boiling two or three layers in salt and vinegar should not be presented as established ancient technology. Testing a modern sample demonstrates that sample’s properties, not how every ancient corselet was made.
Tombstone of Centurion Marcus Favonius Facilis of the XX (Valeria Victrix) Valerian Victorious Legion. Colchester. Colchester and Essex Museum. 1st century AD (43-50 AD)
Praetorian Guard,fresco from the Golden House of Nero. 64-68 ADA similar outline on a relief or vase does not always identify an armour material. Textile, leather, metal and combinations can produce comparable silhouettes. Images help establish shape and attachments, but protective performance and exact construction require separate evidence.
Terracotta sculptures from the facade of the temple in Talamos Tascania (Florence Museum). Second century BC.
Battle of Cadmus with the dragon. Relief of the front wall of an Etruscan funeral urn for ashes. Alabaster. Inv. № I 1045. Vienna, Museum of Art History. 2nd century BC Related topics
Literature and sources
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