Linothorax vs Spolas

[PMBardunias]

i agree, but still using the word spolas in Xenophon's meaning is better that the use of the word linothorax.

I agree with that completely- moreso if you use it to say that "a Spolas was A type of T-Y made of leather, in use at the time Xenophon wrote". I just like order, so Bronze thorax, linen thorax, and Spolas, is not so neat as Bronze thorax, linen thorax and leather thorax.

After all, we could be speaking with at least ONE ancient person from our time period, and we would understand eachother!

Pollux turns to the word Thorax when needs to define spolas to his late audience, and surely any Greek since Homer would understand if you told them you have a Thorax- compounded with the term hide, leather, or linen. I'm not so sure a 6th century greek, when the T-Y first appears would know that a spolas always means armor.

The use of a name of a garment for armor has all sorts of ambiguities with civilian parallels, like the Medieval "jack" or "coat" of plates. In homer there are references to chalkiochlamydes if I recall correctly.

Then again we are stuck with Pilos for hat and helm, so maybe ambiguity is the norm.