Ancient Greek armour tested on marines works surprisingly well

Bulky bronze armour sported by Brad Pitt as Achilles in the film Troy may look cumbersome but it was surprisingly battle-friendly, experts have proven.

Researchers at the University of Thessaly in Greece asked marines to carry out combat exercises wearing replicas of a 3,500-year-old suit of armour, found near the village of Dendra, near ancient Mycenae.

Since its discovery in 1960, it has been unclear whether it was simply a ceremonial suit or for battle.

With its overlapping bronze plates that covered the shoulders and fell below the knee, the armour was even more unwieldy than Pitt’s, but Greek soldiers from the Hellenic Armed Forces found it kept them protected and provided ample movement.

The authors recruited 13 volunteers from the Marines of the Hellenic Armed Forces, equipped them with Bronze Age weapons and ran them through an 11-hour simulated Bronze Age combat based on historical accounts from Homer’s Iliad. Experiments showed that the force generated by participants during combat hits was “relatively high and could inflict serious injury”.

The experiment found that the replicated Dendra armour did not limit a warrior’s fighting ability or cause severe strain on the wearer.

The team said the results suggest that the Dendra armour was battle-worthy, and implied that the Mycenaean’s powerful impact in Mediterranean history was partly because of their armour. Andreas Flouris of the University of Thessaly, said: “We found that the armour allowed full flexibility of movement and did not exert excessive physiological stress on the body, as all our participants were able to complete the intense 11-hour combat simulation protocol.

“This means that despite earlier views which classified it as only a ceremonial outfit, the armour could be worn for extended periods by fit individuals in battle.

“Sixty years on from the discovery of the Dendra armour we now understand, despite its cumbersome appearance at first sight, that it is not only flexible enough to permit almost every movement of a warrior on foot but also resilient enough to protect the wearer from most blows.”

He added: “These warriors must have been formidable opponents.”

Held together with leather thongs

The Dendra armour consisted of 15 pieces of bronze sheet, held together with leather thongs, that surrounded the wearer from neck to knees. There were also leg and arm guards.

It is the only complete set of armour from Bronze Age Greece, although similar suits were depicted on tablets and vases from the period.

During the combat experiments, the marines performed combat moves and were instructed to hit the centre of a round target made of thick beech wood. To make the experiment as realistic as possible, the soldiers were also asked to eat an ancient Greek diet, consisting of dry bread, honey, goat’s cheese, olives, meat and red wine.

The team concluded: “Taken together, these experimental results indicate that the Dendra armour was compatible with use in the type of combat described by Homer in the Iliad.”