Glued Linen Armour- a simple test

[rocktupac]

In comparing the two, one might conclude they were drawing on the same or a similar source....but Nepos makes some glaring careless errors. He speaks of 'doubling' the length of the spears i.e. from 8ft or so to 16 ft, and such a weapon needed two hands, as the Macedonian 'sarissa shows, whereas Diodorus talks of 12 ft spears, which is just about the maximum that can be handled single-handedly. Then he apparently throws in an anachronistic detail - not mentioned in Diodorus' account and hence likely to be Nepos' "invention". He refers to "chain armour"/mail, which was the common equipment in his own day of heavy Infantry, but which didn't exist in Iphicrates day, 250 years earlier, being replaced by 'linen' armour! It is this clear anachronistic error which makes Nepos' accuracy doubtful.

Diodorus does mention that Iphicrates made "many other useful improvements into warfare" but finds that "it would be tedious to write about them." This could mean a number of things and doesn't contradict Cornelius Nepos, even if he does misunderstand a few things. Also, Diodorus's words do not rule out linen armor. Should we disregard all of Cornelius Nepos, or other writers, that allow a slight misunderstanding into their texts? Should we be doubtful of Herodotus's accuracy because of his gold-digging ants or dog-headed men, or is he still considered a highly important and authoritative historian?