06-09-2012, 02:11 AM | #1 |
Join Date: May 2012
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Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
Okay, I've been working out some costs for specific sorts of armor recently. I just did one for a late 1500s Japanese tosei-gusoku set that came out nicely. I then moved on to try to do Greek hoplite kit. I figured I'd lower the cost nicely by using a linothorax (Medium Layered Cloth) for the torso protection and stick to bronze greaves and helmet.
...Turns out that even with the nice inexpensive linothorax, the total cost of the armor is over 6000 GURPS $ (which is around 2000 more than the cost I ended up with for the Japanese armor)! This seems...not quite right, to me. How would you, dear friends, deal with this in a game where the players were ancient Greek warriors (and thus at a TL that wouldn't likely give them $6000 to easily spend without heavy investment in Wealth)? |
06-09-2012, 02:38 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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Re: Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
Greek hoplites are Iron Age. Subtract about 600-800 years for Bronze Age.
I did an early Greek hoplite and a late Greek hoplite for the upcoming Loadouts book. The early one clad all in bronze cost $9,292 but the late one, wearing a leather spolas cost $3,295. The Macedonian in layered linen armour cost $3,464. If you had a "shoestring" budget then you wouldn't be a hoplite in the first place. You'd be a slave carrying the hoplite's armour until he is ready to put it on. FWIW there is almost no documentation for Greeks wearing linen armour during the classical period. All of the Greek texts describe other cultures wearing them. Last edited by DanHoward; 06-09-2012 at 02:48 AM. |
06-09-2012, 02:48 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: May 2012
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Re: Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
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I guess I'll have to wait for that book and see exactly how you got those lower costs--I take it part of it has to do with not having to pony up for the gigantically expensive bronze Corinthian helm? ;) |
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06-09-2012, 02:54 AM | #4 |
Join Date: May 2012
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Re: Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
Linothoraces are a really, really hot button topic, honestly. I've heard people say exactly what you've said, I've heard others claim there are over 70 primary sources in Greek literature and examples on pottery showing them in use by Greeks. I actually don't really know which to believe; I was just using it to try to drop the price a bit. XDD
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06-09-2012, 02:57 AM | #5 | |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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Re: Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
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Here is a Macedonian phalangite wearing a linen kotthubos and a bronze kausia - pot helm with cheek guards Chitôn (linen tunic) $48 Kotthubos $263 Ptyruges $38 Knèmides (bronze greaves) $2,200 Sandals $25 Kausia (bronze helmet) $890 TOTAL $3,464 |
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06-09-2012, 03:00 AM | #6 |
Join Date: May 2012
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Re: Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
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06-09-2012, 03:02 AM | #7 | ||
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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Re: Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
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Last edited by DanHoward; 05-06-2013 at 02:31 AM. |
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06-09-2012, 03:10 AM | #8 | ||
Join Date: May 2012
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Re: Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
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06-09-2012, 03:15 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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Re: Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
They wasted most of their resources testing glued linen. There isn't a scrap of evidence to suggest that glue was ever historically used by anyone to make armour. Layered textile armour has been used all over the world for thousands of years and there are plenty of surviving examples. Every single one was quilted, not glued.
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06-09-2012, 03:21 AM | #10 | |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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Re: Bronze Age Greece On A Shoestring Budget
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http://www.superstock.com/stock-phot...ges/1788-18143 A lot of the illustrations in question could be depicting something like this. I don't think so. IMO leather is most likely, but you can't tell just by looking at drawings. Last edited by DanHoward; 06-09-2012 at 03:26 AM. |
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Tags |
bronze, greek, helmets, low-tech armor |
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