Interested in Roman Riding?

[John Conyard]

Greaves in the 4th century are a bit tricky.

Segmented limb defences can be seen in period iconography, both military and gladiatorial, and 3rd and 4th century finds support their use. They are surprisingly flexible and comfortable to wear, still allowing the arm to be bent when drawing a bow. The plates overlap from the hand to the shoulder ensuring blades slide off the armour on an upwards strike, rather than between the laminated plates. The manica is tied to the padded subarmalis at the shoulder, and can be lined with felt to increase comfort and reduce staining to clothing. I have never worn laminated leg armour, and do wonder how it would limit my contact with the horse. However I have seen two re-enactors using them.

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Presumably the armour would have to overlap from the ankle to the thigh. Such armour would live in close proximity to the horse, and copper alloy would be an easier choice than iron, which would soon get very rusty from sweat and urine, some of it from the horse!

The Strategikon mentions iron and even wooden greaves. Although none have been found from the fourth century, Vegetius advocates greaves and our riders often wear simple examples based on a 3rd century example from Kunzing in Germany. Wooden greaves were probably of splint construction, made up over several vertical bars held together by a leather backing. Iron or copper alloy bars could be used instead. I have got as far as measuring up some iron bars, much cheaper than bronze at the moment.

No leather armour has been found from the period, although two mid 3rd century cavalry leather thigh-guards were found in the dry conditions at Dura. These partially protect the knee and I like them a lot. Possibly from a non-Roman tradition, they were worn like riding chaps although some believe them to be crinets for a horse. They consist of overlapping scales attached to each other by leather lacing, each thigh-guard using its own distinct lacing method. They defend against horizontal blows and strikes from above, presumably from enemy cavalrymen and arrows. The armour is in fact a form of lamellar, but the method of construction is similar to scale. The lacing method and materials used result in a flexible armour, fitting over the knee and protecting from the waist to the shin. Each scale would have been treated using heated wax or oil, toughening it and shrinking it at the same time. Such armour is light to wear and easy to repair.

As Rod says research is always good, as is coming to your own conclusions. As re-enactors there is always the temptation to just copy what we see others doing. I already see other late Romans adopting mid 3rd century sports greaves. But they need to sit comfortably with the helmet, armour and belt fittings already worn. Too often they don’t. The archaeological evidence for splint greaves is lacking, and wearing some would be supposition. But so our saddles, and so much else we use. For me they would take the hammering resulting in physical contact with the enemy, infantry, and especially other horseman.

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