10-15-2008, 09:41 PM
Quote:I don't see why not felt. The Eastern Romans and Sassanids were supposed to use felt neck protection and possibly even as low class cuirass. And hey, it makes a good base if you can later equip them better as the felted wool cuirass becomes a subarmalis. Cloth armor has been used by many cultures from the ancient, medieval to the modern.
You get exactly the point.
Furthermore, we know that linen, that was common in the Sout-East part of the Mediterraneum Basin was imported by Phoenicians in North Europe, but it still an uncommon fiber in Middle and Northern Europe until the Roman Imperial age.
So, seeing all the Linothorax-looking-like armor represented in celtic art and sculpture, reading that curious statement of Polybius and considering the use of felt protections against throwing weapons among the Romans, I hypothesize a celtic felt armor.
I don't want to say that Celts didn't use linen or leather armors, but I think that with all these points, the idea of linen ins't improbable... and however if the armor of the Boii and Insubres were in leather or linen Polybius woul have used the terms "Spolas" and "Linothorax"
