Linothorax The linothorax is a modern term conventionally used to describe a type of upper body armor used by the Ancient Greeks , as well as other civilizations , from the Mycenaean Period through the Hellenistic Period . It is based on the Greek λινοθώραξ ( in Homer λινοθώρηξ ) , which strictly is an adjective meaning " wearing a breastplate of linen " ( and is not a noun meaning " linen armor " as often stated ) ; the " linothorax " was made of linen , while a " thorax " was made of metal . The earliest attested account of a " linothorax " used for battle is recorded in Book 2 of Homer ' s Iliad ( 2 . 529 and 2 . 830 ) . It is worn by Ajax the Lesser and is described in brief . Homer , composing long before the great armies of Athens , Thebes , Sparta or Alexander the Great , surely understood what the armor was . But the extent to which it was used can not be fully determined . An educated guess can be made , however , based on its use by Alexander the Great , and its mention by other sources such as Herodotus ( 2 . 182 , 3 . 47 , 7 . 63 ) , Livy ( 4 . 19 . 2 – 20 . 7 ) and Strabo ( Geography , 3 . 3 . 6 , 13 . 1 . 10 ) , and many others . The linothorax appears to have been used in place of the bronze ' bell cuirass ' as the popular choice of armour for Greek hoplites , starting perhaps around the late seventh century and early sixth century B . C . Its high point , if vase paintings , sculptural reliefs and artistic depictions are to be believed , corresponds with the time of the Persian Wars . By the time of the Peloponnesian War it was still used , and continued to seemingly flourish well into the Hellenistic Period . Construction . Very few details of the thorax ' s construction are found in Homer and other authors ; this is probably applicable to the linothorax as well . The thorax consists of two or more " gyala " ( γύαλα ) , hollow metal plates covering the breast and the back ( Il . 15 . 530 , 5 . 99 ) . A " mitra " or " mitre " ( μίτρα , μίτρη ) was a metal guard worn around the waist ( Il . 4 . 137 , 187 . 216 , 5 . 857 ) over a leather or felt cloth called " zoma " ( ζώμα ) ( Il . 23 . 683 , 4 . 216 , Od . 14 . 482 ) . Metal plates or flaps called " pteryges " ( πτέρυγες ) were protecting various parts of the body ( Xenophon , Anabasis 4 . 7 . 15 ) . A " " zoster " " ( ζωστήρ ) was a belt , probably of leather with metal plates , worn around the waist over the other parts of the cuirass ( Il . 4 . 132 , 135 , 186 etc . ) . The actual method of constructing a linothorax is unknown as no example has survived from ancient times . The only piece of armor that resembles the linothorax was discovered in a tomb in Vergina , Northern Greece ( the ancient Macedonian capital of Aegae ) . This armor , which was most probably worn for ceremony , was constructed from sheet iron with gold embellishments . It is probably an iron copy of a linothorax . Since visual evidence is limited to vase paintings and sculptural reliefs , rather than actual surviving models , modern scholars can only guess at its makeup and design . Artistic depictions show armor that has a top piece which covers the shoulders and is tied down on the chest , a main body piece wrapping around the wearer and covering the entire torso , and a row of pteruges or flaps around the bottom which cover the groin and upper thigh . There are a number of vase paintings that show what appear to be metal scales covering the armor ( as shown in the picture ) . The type of material that went into the construction of the linothorax is still hotly debated by academics and amateurs alike . Some of the more common theories of its construction involve laminated or quilting many layers of linen fabric ( linothorax literally means ' linen torso ' ) ; the armor probably had between 12 and 20 layers . Some have claimed that it was made of leather , or possibly other materials , or a combination of both , but there is little evidence to either support or refute this . It has been suggested the fabric layers were bonded using animal glue . Although strong , this is water soluble therefore the armour would need protection against rain or sweat if this was indeed used . University of Wisconsin - Green Bay : Linothorax Project . In January 2009 , Dr . Gregory S . Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay and Scott Bartell presented a paper discussing the protective qualities of the linothorax at the joint American Philological Association / Archaeological Institute of America Convention held in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . The pair have been researching the linothorax since 2005 and have built a number of replicas , using various methods that include lamination and quilting . Their paper argued that a 1 cm thick linothorax , usually consisting of around 11 to 18 layers ( depending on thickness of thread ) , would have provided all the necessary protection to its wearer to survive an arrow or slashing attack . The research was carried out by assembling dozens of linen test patches , arranged in a multitude of fashions , using authentic materials , and subjecting them to arrow shots and sword cuts . The testing was carried out in a sort of " worst - case - scenario " in which the range was nearly pointblank and the angle of archer to armor was perpendicular . In an actual battle both of these factors would have been considerably different , making the performance of the test patches even more remarkable . The tests also concluded that quilted armor offered roughly three quarters of the protection of laminated armor ; thus the quilted patches were less effective . This was found to be true in every sort of test conducted . The research conducted by Greg Aldrete and Scott Bartell was also presented at the 2010 Poster Session for the Archaeological Institute of America ( AIA ) in Anaheim , California , where it won first prize among many contenders from around the world . The research is ongoing and is soon to be published . In use the linothorax is stiff when put on at first but , through body heat , it conforms to the shape and movement of the user . This quality would have allowed it to be mass produced for military use . In a warmer climate bronze armor would be hot and thus decrease the wearer ' s ability to fight effectively for long periods . On November 9 , 2011 , Dr . Aldrete was featured on an episode of Penn and Teller ' s Tell A Lie – broadcast on the Discovery Channel – where he showed how the linothorax armor worked by shooting an arrow at one of his students , Scott Bartell .