In this period what would the best type of armor be for a "heavy" infantry man ?

[russia almighty]

I'm guessing chain or reinforced lino ?

[Sakkura]

Best depends on circumstances. The most versatile and in most situations best armor for this period is almost certainly mail.

[Pharnakes]

Personaly I would prefer reinforced linen. Alot lighter and better able to protect against missiles and concusive blows.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Well if you didn't mind the expenses and the sheer weight: then I think you could go a long way with the Epeirote style general's armour. Pretty tough: a couple of layers, each of them making for a respectable kit on its own.

[Caelus]

Interesting question, it’s hard to say for sure.

The problem with chain mail is that chain does not do a good job of protecting against percussive blows, and as far as I know they had yet to develop the padding worn under mail that was used in the Middle Ages which gives some protection against blunt trauma.

That being said mail offers the very highest level of flexibility and maneuverability which being of moderate weight.

Hoplite style armour (whatever you want to call it, as it’s not exactly plate) offers better protection but with higher weight and expense, in addition to lower maneuverability and flexibility.

For sure I would prefer the Roman (OK I know they didn’t invent it but I don’t remember right now who did) style helmet. It offers a good deal of protection but allows for the full (relatively) use of the senses.

[Strategos Alexandros]

What about Gaesaetae armour?

[Dayve]

I always thought the cuirass that Spartan Hoplites or the like wore looked like it would offer the most protection, especially in combination with a large round shield.

[CirdanDharix]

Best armour? a huge, sturdy, shield. It was generally the heaviest piece of a hoplite's equipment for a good reason. In terms of body armour, a linothorax will give you the best all-round protection for weight, but mail is more flexible and probably was cheaper. For helmets, I like the original Thracian helmet:

Excellent protection, without interfering much with vision or hearing.

[Eduorius]

It depends in a lot of factors.

-Climate
-Mobility
-Costs

are some that I can think about.

I would use chainmail or scale armor. Blunt force trauma is almost impossible to resist unless you have a good shield.

[russia almighty]

Caelus I think it's mentioned that the Celtics and Romans did wear something under there mail to help with resisting blows.

[L.C.Cinna]

a lorica plumata for me. that is very fine chain mail with very small rings (more fragile than the usual hamata and a bit more vulnerable) but with scales attached. so in the end you have a very light mail shirt with small scales.

[Gaius marcus]

me? i would go with linothorax armor, with quarter inch bronze sheets sewn between the layers of linnen, with scale reinforcing the sides and protecting the kidneys, a sturdy theuros shield, a thracian helm and brass studded pterges extending down to the knees, with hardoned leather shinplates and under all that, a rich blue tunic and trousers....

i would wear that if i was a helleno-skythian spearman

[geala]

For infantry I would prefer mail (with a padded under-chiton), reaching to the mid thighs and with short sleeves. In addition a protection for the right forearm. Although very heavy, mail does not impede movement and covers problematic spots, like the armpits and the groin. And I would use a Macedonian-Hellenistic helmet together with a bronze scale gorget.

BTW: many would prefer a linothorax. Do we have any sources for Greek linen thorakes in the classical or Hellenistic time? I mean literature or archeological proof. Imho we don't have.

Some times ago in another thread a find from Rhodos was mentioned, a piece of quilted linen from a warrior tomb of about 350 BC, found by Snodgrass. Is it already published somewhere?

[TWFanatic]

Lorica Segmentata.

Now I think i'm going to scadadle before the mob tears me limb from limb.

[Sakkura]

Hehe, daring. You better run fast.

BTW, a lot of people seem to prefer linothorax over mail. Just seems to me that mail stood the test of time much better. I would be particularly surprised if the Romans, the best in the world at adopting superior technology invented by others, had overlooked a type of armor that way. The Macedonians adopted mail for their infantry after combat against the legions, which to me shows that mail was good stuff. At least for a "heavy" infantryman, which this thread is about.

[Pharnakes]

Depends what you combine it with.

If you want your shield to be your main defense (the hoplite way), then the lighter linnen is better as you can have a larger, heavier shield. If you want slihtly more felixibilty and more options for independent movment outside of the dense formations needed to get the best out of large shields, then chain is better for its protection of weakspots like armpits.