Glued Linen Armour- a simple test

[Paralus]

My opinion leads me to the assumption it was quilted.

Indeed it may have been. It is evidence, though, rather than opinion that should lead to conclusions rather than assumptions.

Plutarch is always interested in the anecdote to illustrate the man. Alexander utilising Persian armour - of the Great King (he would hardly adopt the armour of a lesser mortal) - fits his gestalt of the harmonising Alexander always willing to adopt the Persian practice. This does not necessarily invalidate the anecdote. Plutarch may have Alexander wear this armour as a matter of "display" - "I'm wearing your armour" type of thing - which suits the heroic king-battles-king rubbish of the source tradition.

If he did indeed wear this cuirass one can only assume he thought it better protection than that which he was accustomed to wear. There is nothing in the Plutarch anecdote to indicate that this style of armour was out of the ordinary or unknown - only that it was taken in the spoils of Issos and was, as indicated above, almost certainly the Great King's.