The Iliad by Homer Book 4 Page 9

passed over his double cuirass were fastened, so the arrow struck the belt that went tightly round him. It went right through this and through the cuirass of cunning workmanship; it also pierced the belt beneath it, which he wore next his skin to keep out darts or arrows; it was this that served him in the best stead, nevertheless the arrow went through it and grazed the top of the skin, so that blood began flowing from the wound.

As when some woman of Meonia or Caria strains purple dye on to a piece of ivory that is to be the cheek-piece of a horse, and is to be laid up in a treasure house — many a knight is fain to bear it, but the king keeps it as an ornament of which both horse and driver may be proud — even so, O Menelaus, were your shapely thighs and your legs down to your fair ancles stained with blood.