THE MUSCLE CUIRASS IN ETRURIA AND SOUTHERN ITALY - VOTIVE BRONZES

About 40 votive bronze figures wearing the muscle cuirass have been fo und in, or attributed to, different parts of Italy. Not all are from E truria; Latium, Campania, and Magna Graecia seem to have provided a nu mber of the known examples. Some are Classical in style, others Hellen istic. They nevertheless make a group by themselves, and one not enoug h appreciated. Though many of the figures have been published as indiv idual works of art, only Hagemann, in 1919, thought to include one of them in his discussion of the ''Muskelpanzer.'' Taking them as a group , we learn not only what was worn with these corselets, but that the f igures, however differ ent in style, almost always take one of three s pecific poses: brandishing a weapon, pouring a libation, or leaning on a spear. All three are shown many times on Greek painted vases. The f irst pose represents the warrior in battle, the second, the warrior's leave-taking from his home, and the third, the triumphant warrior at r est, hero, prince, or divinity.