#443 – Gregory Aldrete: The Roman Empire – Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome

3633.465 - 3657.021 Gregory Aldrete

A bronze cuirass of comparable protection would have been about 20%. 24 to 6 pounds. A chain mail shirt would be about 28, 27 pounds. It's cooler. I mean, the Mediterranean is a hot place with the hot sun. Even today, a linen shirt is something you wear when you want to be cool. So it's much lighter. That gives your troops greater endurance on the battlefield. They can run farther, fight longer.