ABSTRACT
The legend of Mamurius Veturius, who crafted perfect replicas of the ancile for Numa Pompilius (Ov. Fast. 3.379–392), reflects the skills of the armourers of Etruria and Central Italy, and the expectations of their patrons in the eighth and seventh centuries. Take, for example, the unique “poncho” cuirass crafted for a chief of Narce (Fig. 39.1) in the final quarter of the eighth century (all dates bc). Tailored to fit an individual with very broad shoulders and a heavily muscled chest, the cuirass, formed from a single sheet of bronze and extensively decorated in repoussé, is a fine example of form and function. This combination would continue to characterize Etruscan and Faliscan arms and armour for another 450 years.1
