Source Illustration Comment

200 AD - Aelius

Septimus, Komarom,

Hungary (Brigetio,

Pannonia Superior),

Hungarian National

Museum, CIL III 4310

= CIL III 10969 =

RIU-29 = AE 1962,

221 = AE 1991, 1305

(Ae(lio) Septimo

opt(ioni) leg(ionis) I /

[Ad]i(utricis)

desideratus est /

[bello 3]aris qui

vix(it))

The deceased, an optio in leg. I Adiutrix, wears a

muscle cuirass with tabs at shoulder and waist and

a single row of pteryges. The neck opening of the

cuirass appears to be squared and two broad

shoulder strips are visible. The cuirass covers the

shoulders which would indicated a flexible

construction. Shield and sword are quite

realistically rendered. His helmet has a triangular

brow plate and bulbous form which may it appear

almost like a pseudo-corinthian type. More likely

this is the artist's attempt to render the brow guard

of a helmet of Weisenau or Niederbieber type.

Two flowing bands are visible behind the head

which are likely the remains of some sort of crest.

One of the deceased optio's comrades is bearded

and appears to be wearing a helmet or cap without

cheek pieces (unless he is in fact a fleeing

Barbarian).

400 AD - Notitia

Dignitatum

The vignette of the Magister Officiorum shows

what appear to be muscle cuirasses. The light blue

color appears to indicate metal. The copyist of the

first version of the Ottheinrich copy in Munich

clearly interpreted them this way.

1000 AD - 10th &

11th century

Byzantine reliefs

Numerous Byzantine reliefs and painting depict

warrior saints and soldiers wearing cut similar to a

muscle cuirass with or without pteryges and

apparently constructed of scale or lamellar with

padded cloth also being possible. Sometime this

armour is cut at the shoulder with or without

separate (metal?) shoulder pieces, sometime it

extends over the shoulders. The armour is often,

but not always secured by a "Varangian bra".

350 AD - Imperial

busts

On at least six sculptures/medals emperors all

wear scale shirts cut in the same way as a muscle

cuirass. Some have central medaillons on the

breast. The shirts have slim shoulder straps tied

above the breast and a horizontal decorated rim

below the throat.

Numerous coins shows emperors and Barbarian

kings in scale armour.

Vergilius Vaticanus

The warriors wear short scale shirts covering the

shoulders with a fabric(?) rim which could also

represent a subarmalis but no pteryges.

???

550 AD - Sixth

century 'seasons'

mosaic, Argos

Museum

250 AD - Dura

Europos synagogue

mural

The soldiers in the background wear short

scale/mail skirts with white pteryges. The light

blue color may indicate iron or tinned bronze. One

has a brown vertical band which may either be a

belt or a breast band. Their tunics appear to be

pinkish and their coats brown.

The officer? in the foreground has the same

appearance, adding except that his tunic is blue

and his coat red. His armour has the same cut but

shows no scales. It is orange-brown. It clearly

covers the shoulders which would appear to rule

out bronze. He also has a white breast band and

wears leg guards.

The attempt to show Niederbieber/Heddernheim

helmets reinforces the appearance of a very

naturalistic depiction.

400 AD - S. Maria

Maggiore, Rome

All types of armour (including scale and mail are

shown). On the majority of panels the soldiers

wear armour broadly cut like a Hellenistic T&Y

cuirass depicted in light blue with a red breast

field. True muscle cuirasses are also shown but

only worn by commanders. They are shown in

light blue (iron/silver).

Amazonomachy

mosaic

The warrior wear a brown (bronze) muscle cuirass

with extremely long shoulder flaps which appear

to be tied to his very broad belt (reminding of the

M.Favonius Facilis relief). The cuirass has what

appears to be separate round shoulder plates with

attached tabs.

The accuracy of these is supported by the ear

coverings on the helmet which match the recent

finds from Koblenz.

Mosaic, Roman Villa

at Tellaro

Achilles wears what could be a late Roman ridge

helmet with peacock feathers and a muscle cuirass

with two rows of tabs at waist and shoulder. It is

unclear whether he wears a tunic with folds or

pteryges under the cuirass. Over the cuirass he

wears what appears to be a typical broad late

Roman belt. The cuirass covers the shoulder but

the central piece of the mosaic is lost so it is

unclear whether this is an extension of the cuirass

or a separate should guard; the tabs may make the

first option more likely. The cuirass is shown in

the same golden brown colour as the helmets and

could either represent (gilt) bronze or leather.

Ambrosian Ilias

Warriors in a battle scene are shown in short

armour either painted black/blue (mail?) or light

brown (bronze/leather?). In another scene there is

a warrior in a light brown muscle cuirass.

Achilles-Dish

A warrior in what appears to be a muscle cuirass

made from flexible material because it covers the

shoulders and is also slightly bent forward.