In little more than 30 years of life, Alexander III of Macedon – better known today as Alexander the Great – conquered much of the known world of his time, including the mighty Persian empire. He extended the reach of Greek culture further than anyone before him. In his spectacular military victories against often numerically superior forces, Alexander and his armies demonstrated tactical genius that is still analyzed in military academies.
While still a boy his father had told him prophetically to “find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedon is too small for you”, according to the historian Plutarch. In 336, at the age of 20 Alexander assumed the Macedonian throne from his father Philip II, who through his own exploits had submitted most of the Greek city-states to Macedonian hegemony. From there followed a breathless and virtually uninterrupted series of conquests that toppled the centuries old Persian Empire and inspired Alexander to launch an Indian campaign.
How did Alexander accomplish so much in such a short time and often with fewer soldiers than the opposing armies? The main credit is ultimately due to his military genius. There is another intriguing reason for Alexander’s success: fabric. At a recent meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in Anaheim, California, researchers presented the results of their reconstructive archaeological work. Their research suggests that Alexander and his soldiers wore a protective body armor made of linothorax, amde by laminating layers of linen together.
Gregory Aldrete, professor of history and humanistic studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, revealed in an interview with Discovery News that “we have 27 descriptions by 18 different ancient authors and nearly 700 visual images on objects ranging from Greek vases to Etruscan temple reliefs”. These findings testify to the extended use of this type of armor. Evidence for Alexander’s usage of linothorax comes from the renowned “Alexander Mosaic” from Pompeii used as the header image of this post.
Alexander’s apparent use of laminated linen got us thinking about the linen fabrics we carry at our online fabric store. You be one of the few people who are not inclined to make laminated body armor out of linen. So then what can you use our linen for? Spring and summer fashions are enhanced with clothing incorporating linen or made wholly from linen. Dress slacks, jackets, shirts, skirts and dresses can all be created from linen.
Although linen is most commonly associated with spring and summer, when given decorative uses it looks good all year. Curtains and other draperies made from linen will lend a rustic charm to your décor. Linen can also be used to make bed sheets, pillows and other decorative and practical items regardless of the season.
Here are some linen dress fabrics:
Eggshell Linen
Ocean Linen
Creme Linen
The following are some linen/velvet blend decorator fabrics:
Bonetti Velvet Flock Linen: Chocolate
Wana Stripe Velvet Linen: Kohl
Wanaque Velvet Linen: Kohl
Bonetti Velvet Flock Linen: Sand
Other linen decorator fabrics:
Chocolate Linen Blend Decorative
Morning Gardens Linen Decorative
Beige Polish Linen Decorative
Our linen dress fabrics won’t enable you to conquer the world, but you will most certainly be able to conquer your fabric projects. Make all of your fabric conquests possible with J&O!
