Gaulish felt armor

[Caturix]

Gentlemen, might I suggest that the attached picture from the Arch of Orange(AD 25) fits what Polybius is saying admirably? Here we see a Celt wielding shield and sword, wearing a helmet, but otherwise naked ( though just possibly wearing trousers)

Excuse me, but without mentioning that the Arch of Orange is quite too recent to be used as a term of paragon for III B.C. Gauls, I think that it is probably the maximum example of ideal depiction of the look of Gaulish warriors, with little to do with reality of facts.

It celebrate the victory against the rebel army of Julius Sacrovir; according to Tacitus statement, the army of Sacrovir was composed of a percentage of warriors "equipped with the same weapons of the legions" (Tacitus, Annales, 3, 43) , a huge percentage of skirmish-like light infantry
"equipped with short spears, knives and others hunters' weapons" (Tacitus, Annales, 3, 43) and the slave gladiators named Crupellarii, with a characteristic heavy and cumbersome armor.

Nothing of this I see in the Arch of Orange... just the old cliché of the naked barbarian... sorry, but for the exterior look of the Gauls, I don't think the Arch of Orange can be considered realistic at all.

Add to this that woollen trousers would confer a degree of protection against random slashes

Excuse me... I have performed a lot of tests with a sharpened reproduction of a latenian blade... and belive me... if not padded and matted, no woollen trousers can give any protection, even against a random slash.

, spent missiles etc which might otherwise cut, as was explained above, and I believe Polybius' probable meaning is perfectly explained.........

I don't think so.

As for swords, my association performed penetration tests with javelins... and no fabric that haven't been matted on purpose can give any notable protection or avantage against a volley of javelins.

Putting together the evidence of gaulish organic armors and the use in Italy of felt protections, I'm still of the idea that the line infantry of the Gauls at Telamon (except for the Gaesatae), had had some kind of body protection a little more effective than simple clothing.