A dictionary of Greek and Roman . (Cic. 44.) T;:e two plates were united on the right side ofthe body by two hinges, as seen in the equestrianstatue of the younger Balbus at Naples, and invarious portions of bronze cuirasses still in ex-istence. On the other side, and sometimes onboth sides, they were fastened by means of buckles(Ttepovai, Paus. I. c). [Fibula.] In Romanstatues we often observe a band surrounding thewaist and tied before. The breast-plate and theback-plate were further connected together byleathern straps passing over the shoulders, and fast-ened in fron
A dictionary of Greek and Roman . (Cic. 44.) T;:e two plates were united on the right side ofthe body by two hinges, as seen in the equestrianstatue of the younger Balbus at Naples, and invarious portions of bronze cuirasses still in ex-istence. On the other side, and sometimes onboth sides, they were fastened by means of buckles(Ttepovai, Paus. I. c). [Fibula.] In Romanstatues we often observe a band surrounding thewaist and tied before. The breast-plate and theback-plate were further connected together byleathern straps passing over the shoulders, and fast-ened in front by means of buttons or of ribandstied in a bow. In the last woodcut both of theconnecting ribands in the right-hand figure aretied to a ring over the navel. The breast-plate ofCaligula has a ring over each breast, designed tofulfil the same purpose. Bands of metal often supplied the place of theleathern straps, or else covered them so as to be-come very ornamental, being terminated by a lionshead, or some other suitable figure appearing on. each side of the breast. The most beautiful spe-cimens of enriched bronze shoulder-bands now inexistence are those which were found A. d. 1820,near the river Siris in S. Italy, and which are pre-served in the British Museum. They were origin-ally gilt, and represent in very salient relief twoGrecian heroes combating two Amazons. They areseven inches in length, and belong to the descrip-tion of bronzes called epya crcpvprjXaTa, having beenbeaten into form with wonderful skill by the ham-mer. Brondsted (Bronzes of Siris, London, 1836)has illustrated the purpose which they served, byshowing them in connection with a portion of an-other lorica, which lay upon the shoulders behindthe neck. This fragment was found in hinges are sufficiently preserved to show mostdistinctly the manner in which the shoulder-bandswere fastened to them (see woodcut).
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsmithwilliam18131893, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840
