Lorca Musculata

By Crusader1307

Although originating in ancient Greece, the use of shaped armor breastplates by Roman soldiers is often debated. Made of bronze or iron, they were highly finished (polished), often with mythological or war-like symbolism. Often made of two-components (front and back), they were joined via leather strapping held in place by studs. The term "muscle" comes from the practice of designing the front of the armor to resemble the chest musculature of a developed male. Some stylized versions included "exaggerated" chest and abdominal muscles. It is unclear if junior-grade officer used them, but General Officers did (often having them made with gold or silver plating for parade or ceremonial purposes). Many Emperors used the Muscle Cuirass for ceremonial purposes as well. Often these varieties would be gold or highly burnished steel and bronze. Some were even "painted". The Muscle Cuirass is often incorrectly associated with the "standard" Roman Army issue.