Source 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))

Illustration

Comment 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 Dignitatum

Notitia

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 century mosaic, Museum

- Sixth 'seasons' Argos

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.