The Breastplate is a plate or set of plates, covering the front of the body from the neck to a little below the waist. It is one of the oldest pieces of body armor and was used before history. The earliest breastplates were constructed of animal bone. One of the earliest surviving metal breastplate armor is a Mycenaean piece which dates from around 1450 BCE. In addition to the breastplate, the armor was constructed to protect the neck and shoulders also. It was probably worn by a charioteer rather than a footsoldier. Although the breastplate was used early among ancient Eastern warriors, it did not develop in Europe until later.
In the sixth century one bishop among the Frank warriors was ridiculed because when riding into battle he wore armor plate across his chest instead of the sign of the heavenly cross. I assume they felt that the cross would protect the heart. By the middle of the seventh century, however, breastplates had come into general use among the Franks.
The earliest breastplates were rounded in shape, sometimes with a median ridge or shallow grooves (fluting) to increase its rigidity. Sometimes these plates were shown in art without backplates and were attached to the body with straps passing over the shoulders and crossed on the back (a method still used in the l8th century and revived in the 20th century modern body armor). A matching piece of armor, the Backplate appeared around 1400 to join the breastplate, thus forming a defense termed a “pair of cuirasses.”
Various styles of breasplates were developed by armorers. The Italians developed a distinctive style of armor in which the breasplate was composed of two pieces: a rounded upper part cut straight at the waist, where it was overlapped by a lower breastplate which protected the stomach. In some cuirasses of the late 15th century the lower breastplate reached such a size that it completely covered the upper piece, forming, in fact, the second breastplate classifed as the Placate. This double breast protection was later widely used on heavy cuirasser armor, due to the increased effectiveness of firearms, and it remained a reinforcing piece for armor used in tournaments. By the end of the century, the armorers returned to the one piece construction of the breastplate, and the lower breastplate, very strong but small in size, remained in later use only in armor for German jousts.
The breastplate is often worn in reenactment events. It is a fairly economical substitute for a full suit of armor, and is relevant to most cultures.