Illustrations of Sassanid Persian Clibanarii

[Urselius]

Interesting. Would you interpret 'masked' as the defining feature separating cataphracti equites from their specific sub-group clibanarii? This would produce - a general term covering unusually heavily armoured cavalry, cataphracti equites, and a specific term for the same provided with face-masks. Presumably, there would be other distinctions, but perhaps the mask was the most visually striking element of the clibanarius to Ammianus.