[split] Phalanx warfare: use of the spear

[Dan Howard]

There could be many reasons for preferring a bright, shiny expensive ( because it had to be tailor made, as our sources tell us) bronze muscled cuirass, but clearly lighter weight wasn't one of them.

You can interpret the texts any way you want but it doesn't alter the physical fact that in order for leather to provide similar protection to bronze it needs to be significantly thicker and heavier.