Linothorax design/construction

[Paullus Scipio]

There is a wealth of knowledge in those couple of paragraphs. He mentions that leather should be used to protect under the right arm, so leather obviously is considered a possible element in armor.

...true! While he goes into considerable detail about what his ideal cavalryman should have as equipment, the only two materials he mentions are "leather/calfskin or metal" (Art of Horsemanship XII.7)

One thing bothers me in this passage- the modification he suggests for the right shoulder of the Thorax. I would not have thought that the throwing motion was not so dissimilar from the overhand stab of the hoplite.

I think that you will find he is advocating the Persian leather tubular arm-bands ( he refers to its flexibility) for the 'bridle-hand' ( left) which goes all the way to the shoulder, but is suggesting that this would hamper a throw, so he advocates a 'free' shoulder, protected by pteryges which can 'open and close' ( i.e. like the Hoplite who must raise his spear)while for the right forearm he advocates armour 'like a greave' (c.f. cromwellian troopers! ) rather than the tubular sleeve bound onto the thorakes . He then goes on to say that the armpit, when the right arm is raised should be protected by "leather or metal".

The quilted saddle blanket evidently hangs down at the sides to protect the horse's belly/sides from missiles.