cataphract\'s leg armour

[etruschi]

How must I see the cataphract's (see picture) leg armour? Unfortunately there is a figure standing in front of the cataphract which covers much detail of the leg armour.
Is it a persian armoured saddle (2 seperate wings covering both seperate legs) or a leather skirt (which also covers a part of the rider's belly) armoured with metal scales covering both legs as one part?
For me it's a leather skirt covered with scales. Covering a part of the belly with the armoured skirt wouldn't be a bad idea because the belly is a very vulnerable part of the body.
Who has other idea's?
Greetings
Etruschi

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Etruschi,

First of all, may I remind you of the forum rule about signatures? Please enter your real name into your signature.

[egfroth]

Etruschi,

First, it's quite likely the artist put somebody in front of the Kataphrakt's legs precisely because HE had no idea about the leg armour either!

Second, I'd be very wary about accepting any artist's reconstruction of a historical armour or outfit without first seeing the original pictures/carvings/archaeological finds he got his information from. Artists' impressions can be horribly wrong.

Do you know where he got the information?

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

I don't know about the cataphract,but at least most of the companion's equipment and the faced helmet of the cavalryman are taken from sculptures of Pergamos and date about 250 bc
Khaire
Giannis

[MeinPanzer]

How must I see the cataphract's (see picture) leg armour? Unfortunately there is a figure standing in front of the cataphract which covers much detail of the leg armour.
Is it a persian armoured saddle (2 seperate wings covering both seperate legs) or a leather skirt (which also covers a part of the rider's belly) armoured with metal scales covering both legs as one part?
For me it's a leather skirt covered with scales. Covering a part of the belly with the armoured skirt wouldn't be a bad idea because the belly is a very vulnerable part of the body.
Who has other idea's?
Greetings
Etruschi

IIRC, Sekunda refers to the Khumbuz-tepe fragment when discussing the leg armour of this figure. He interpreted the Khumbuz-tepe leg defences as being an armoured saddle, so I would assume that that's what he intended to reconstruct here but had communication problems with the artist. I personally doubt both that the Khumbuz-tepe fragment shows an armoured saddle and not an armoured skirt and that Hellenistic cataphracts employed armoured saddles.

However, if you are looking for direct archaeological information on Hellenistic cataphract leg armour, your best source would be the partial armour found in the arsenal at Ai-Khanoum that dates to c.150 BC. Included were segments of leg armour and even an armoured slipper to protect the foot. You can find pictures of these in volume 2 of Nikonorov's Bactrian Montvert title.