LOT 0278

Pair of Roman Lamellar Greaves of a Heavily Armoured Mounted Cataphractarius Soldier

2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.

17 3/4 x 19 7/8 in. (1.8 kg total, 45-50.5 cm).

A complete pair of lamellar greaves, anatomically formed protection featuring curved, overlapping metal plates (lames), the knee area having large plates and cut-outs at the sides to enable better movement; the left greave consists of nineteen overlapping U-shaped metal strips, whilst the right consists of twenty, each with two rivets at each end of every strip. [2]

Acquired on the Munich art market in the 1990s.
From a South German private collection.
German export licence no.15771.

Accompanied by an academic report by Prof. Dr Phil. Peter Rothenhöfer and Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13540-263658.

Cf. D’Amato, R., Negin, A., Roman Heavy Cavalry (1), Cataphractarii & Clibanarii,1st Century BC-5th Century AD, Oxford, 2018, figs.pp.38-39; Hunter F. and Braby, A., The complete brass armguard (manica) from Newstead, Scottish Borders. Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 22, 2021, pp. 1–13; Bryan, B., Hunter, F., West, R., The Newstead brass manica: an update. Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 23/24, 2022/23, pp. 69-72; D'Amato, R., Rothenhöfer, P., A Pair of Complete Lamellar Greaves of a Catafractarius, JAC 2027 (forthcoming).

A close example in construction technique and material is an arm guard (manica) from Newstead (Trimontium).
The heavy armoured cavalrymen (cataphractarii) were often protected entirely on arms and legs, as shown by the Dura Europos graffito and echoed in the words of Nazianzius describing the clibanarii of Maxentius (Pan., XXII,5ff.): 'In the army they are called clibanarii, the men are covered in the upper part, an armour (lorica) which extends down to the horses’chest (pectora equorum) and hang to their forelegs protects them from the injury of a wound without impending their gait…' Nazanzius speaks of an ostentatio armorum (display of armour) and of operti ferro exercitus (army covered with iron). A long splint-armour gauntlet with metal staves had already begun to appear as early as the third century in the Roman army. It had an Iranian origin and is typical of Eurasian horse people.