Metal plate beneath Linothorakes or Spolades

[PMBardunias]

If we are referring to GREEK hoplites (which is what the word generally refers to), this is incorrect, only TWO types of armour are referred to in literature,"thorakes" and "spolades". No Greek Hoplite is ever referred to as wearing a 'thorakes lineous' or 'linous thoraka', only foreigners. [ e.g.( Xen Cyropaedia VI.2) Abradatus, a Persian, puts on "a breastplate made of linen ( 'linous thoraka') such as they used in his country"]

Hoplites had access to all three types of armor. Lindos and Delos are Greeks, not asian, and even the mainland Ionian Greeks, if we assume that is where Aneas' anectdote ocurred, fielded hoplites. Thus, some hoplites likely wore textile armor. Even if you would claim that no Greek craftsman ever made a linen armor, it would be a mistake to assume no mainland Greek hoplite ever wore one given the availability and human tastes for the exotic. Alexander is surely not the first Greek to don an Asian textile armor.

There is some evidence that the terms spolades and Thorakes could be used interchangably,
What is the evidence for this?

If we assume that Spolades refers to a leather armor, and that there were not many styles of leather armor other than the T-Y in this period, then when we read of "Thorakia Skutinous" in the Delian treasury, the terms would be synonymous with spolades. There is a questionable occurence of the corrupted term Linou...spoladion which would match the symmetry of "Thorakia Skutinous- thorakes lineous". In fact if there was a Linou-spoladion, this would be good evidence for the armor originally being solely of leather construction, since there is a need to add the later qualifier of linen to the armor's name.

We do not in fact read of the term 'linothorax' in the sources. As has been pointed out repeatedly in various threads, the term 'linothorax' is not EVER used of hoplite armour....it is a modern borrowing and variation on a Homeric term. The sooner this inaccurate mis-nomer is dropped, the less confusion there will be on the subject.

It is irrelevent that the term "Linothorakes" is not used for armor in the hoplite period. Homer uses the term ????????? to designate an armor of unknown manufacture that is made of linen. Thus this is the first term, albeit converted to a noun in modern parlayance, for linen armor in Greek and is wholly appropriate, in fact I think it holds precedence. Where you have a problem is that so many have gone beyond the evidence to use the word "linothorax" as a synonym for T-Y, which is unacceptable. Using the variants 'thorakes lineous' or 'linous thoraka' does nothing to limit ambiguity and only adds needless complexity. The reason that Strabo could describe Lusitanians as "linothaxed" is that the meaning to a greek was simply an armor made of linen. It is the modern scholar who has assumed that the word equates to the T-Y. In seeking to change the use of the word you are in fact giving up on this point and by using "Linous Thoraka" you are accepting that this is a specialized label for a type of armor only seen in the period in question, thus equivalent to the T-Y. Some linothoraxes may have been T-Ys, but not all T-Ys were linothoraxes.

The Vergina cuirasse either a simple mock up of a T-Y done in iron,or a later variant for which we cannot guage the breadth of use.

That iron was a rarity for armour construction up to Macedonian times can be gauged from its comparative rarity ( subject to the usual archaeological distortions of the record) - one cuirass, and two or three Macedonian helmets. Further evidence of its rarity at this time is the anecdote of Plutarch (Demetrius XXI.3) of the two wondrous iron 'thorakes' made by Zoilus and presented to him - each was lighter than normal armour, and was 'proofed' by having a catapult shot at it.

Considering the dearth of Greek bronze scales in comparison to their frequency in art, I am less than convinced by an argument based on a lack of finds. The fact that 'wonderous" armors could be made of iron plate at late dates does nothing to disprove less impressive early iron armors made of scales or smaller plates. While iron was a rarity for armor, we think, Iron was a major export of some Greek regions and Iron weapons are of course common. Thus you'd almost have to come up with an explanation for a lack of iron in armor- limitations in technology, fashion, or perhaps the same reason that coffee sucks in Columbia- the divergence of the commodity for export.