[Robin Kunc]

Hello,
first I must apologize for my bad english. I tried to find informations of Roman muscle cuirass ( Lorica musculata, thorax etc.). I saw some pictures of statues, many replicas, but no antique cuirass. I would like to know some informations about material (bronze, leather, iron) and shape of cuirass. I am not sure about one piece of metal which is so long, I think that this makes person in armour very hard to move.
Thank’s for answers.
Robin Kunc.

[B. Fulton]

Any breastplate or cuirass makes it a bit harder to bend, but unless you're trying to touch your toes in a fight, this is not that big of a deal. Side to side movement isn't restricted. I wear Kevlar with plates every day, which is similar (no bending at the chest level, you bend at the waist) and I can do pretty much everything.

Not sure what they were made of.

[Robin Kunc]

Thank's,
i know that any armor make it a bit harder to move or bend, I have got a gothic breasplate and I don't bend much. But my breastplate is in waist like x, it is bigger at upper part of chest and smallest in waist and bigger at hips (it's little bit like skirt). I give image, it will be better. But i mean that the muscles on cuirass on statues ends on underbelly (i mean lower part of abdomen, i don't know if its right term), i think that this is little unconfortable.

[Robin Kunc]

I forgot images.
There is gothic cuirass http://www.by-the-sword.com/acatalog/images/dc-509.jpg, it is similar as mine.
And this is statue of man with muscle cuirass http://www.romancoins.info/DSC_0025.JPG.

[Matthew Amt]

Ave!

The place to go for musculata information is Travis Clark's site,

http://astro.temple.edu/%7Etlclark/lorica/

Another great place to get information is the Roman Army Talk board,

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/

I know there was a LONG discussion on the muscled cuirass and all its details at some point, but can't seem to find it. If you do a search on "musculata" you'll find a bunch of good discussions.

The short answer is that for the Roman Imperial era, we really only have artwork, since no known originals have survived. (That's no big surprise, since the number of officers was comparatively small, and their precious items would be well cared for and not easily lost for archeologists!) From earlier times and other places, however, there are plenty of bronze cuirasses, so it's pretty clear that bronze was most likely the common material. But it's also possible that strictly ceremonial versions of these cuirasses were made from fabric or leather--some shown in artwork are obviously flexible. But I would not call these "armor"!

Metal cuirasses made for battle would not be so long as to inhibit movement. They would only come down to the waist, so that the wearer could bend easily. The embossed muscles and other features on the cuirass do NOT necessarily match what is directly underneath!

There seems to be a growing number of people making muscled cuirasses, or at least trying to! They are not easy to make. You can buy commercially made reproductions, but none of them are very good, really.

I hope that helps!

Matthew

[Robin Kunc]

Ave!
Thank you, it help me much. I found some good informations. Now I try to made cuirass.
Robin Kunc.