urchased from army stock, but soldiers may have been free to buymore elaborate or expensive items from private craftsmen. As this was probably beyond theeconomic means of most soldiers, elaborate cuirasses have been attributed only to soldiers ofcenturion rank or higher. Bishop further proposes that military equipment could be sold back tothe legions upon retirement or death of the owner, and therefore could be passed down to anumber of different owners. He cites evidence of equipment which has been found with severalowner inscriptions. The cost of this equipment would probably have forced recycling, and inconjunction with the repair of damaged equipment this may have meant that the life of an objectcould be expected to last for many years. These factors also suggest that the actual production ofnew loricae at any one time may have been fairly low. One of the most widely recognized of these Roman lorica was the so called 'muscle' cuirass,probably Hellenistic in origin. This cuirass was molded on the contours of the muscles of themale chest which were reproduced in an idealized manner. This type of cuirass was probablyconstructed from iron or bronze, consisting of a high-waisted or hip length breastplate. Shoulderstraps hinged to the edges of the back plate, with their forward extremities tied down to rings onthe breast. These plates had side fastenings with perhaps two hinges or a pair of rings joined byties providing for the soldier's left and right flanks. None of these metallic muscled cuirasses ofthe Roman period have survived in the archaeological record. However, Etruscan metal musclecuirasses dating from 5th to the 3rd Century B.C. have been found. Muscle cuirasses have alsobeen believed to have been made of leather. However, a molded leather cuirass would have to bevery thick and rigid to have any defensive qualities. Robinson suggests that this cuirass type wasprobably worn almost exclusively by emperors and top-ranking...
