10-14-2002, 02:52 PM
Marcus Junkelmann is of the opinion that the primary purpose of the manica was to protect the wearer's arm from the battering of the shield rim - both his opponent's and his own. In Marcus' reenactment group the manicae are made of thich padding. This is a point to consider, since gladiatorial shields were often large, while the swords were sometimes just daggers, meaning you had to reach way over two shields to inflict a wound.<br>
No gladiator representation I know of shows a gap inside the elbow, but that could be artistic convention. We'll never know until an actual segmented manica is found. <p></p><i></i>
No gladiator representation I know of shows a gap inside the elbow, but that could be artistic convention. We'll never know until an actual segmented manica is found. <p></p><i></i>