So Why Does an Armor Need Muscles?
Having a strong body is a necessity for soldiers. But why was it so important to design those ancient armors with impressive pecs and abs as well? To get your answer to that, you will need to take a look into “Greek Warfare: Myths and Realities” by Hans Van Wees. According to Van Wees, there are a few explanations:
It looked good
When people feel confident, they perform better. We all feel it. And apparently, it was a known fact in ancient Greece too. Making soldiers look good and feel good on the battlefield was essential if you wanted them to perform their best while facing their enemies.
It was intimidating
This one is more of a speculation, but it’s not entirely baseless. In ancient Greek poems and other literary pieces, the Greek warriors are often described as “men of bronze,” like they were sculpted from the metal. It has been suggested that they had this nude-illusion armor design to make them look like gods or other higher-beings.
It was a symbol of status
So, armors made a soldier look good, feel good, perform better, and be less vulnerable on the battlefield. However, not all soldiers could afford one. The metalwork and the material meant that only those who had the right funds or rank could wear one. So, while Hollywood was staying true to history with the design, it failed to tell us that not all soldiers were wearing the same protection.