greek demi greave and athene

[richard robinson]

currently i am stumbling through a great many websites and finding a lot of pics i had never seen before. I am curious as to whether any one has seen vase paintings (or similar) that show the demi greave that the auction site that may or may not have the letter h in its name- as i had not seen this before-at all-or pictures of it being worn.
Double the interest (on that site) are the greaves that have what i must assume are a rustic/ simplistic rendition of athene - similar to the beautiful rendition on the so called samnite breast plate.
Today i was posted a flickr tink to the Thracian exhibition and at the end of the foto stream was a brilliant close up of a high quality hellenistic redition of Athene again!.Breathtaking- especially when compared to the almost tribal Thrakian renditions of possibly the same Godess. Hopefully I will eventually see some more fotos of that particular subject for though it is beyond my skill level I am sure one of you will procure a set or make some eventually.
It does make me think that greaves should have their own category for a database.
regards
richard

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Hello. Is it this what you mean?
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SUBGzd1BG60/SZzLZ ... nx+det.jpg
Greaves have been developping in length from mycenean and geometric times times(when they covered only the fron of the shin) http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/504 ... 2ac9e4.jpg to the early archaic (when they were fully anatomically developped around the leg but didn't cover the knee) towards the middle archaic(when the knee was covered but not completely "encircled") and into the late archaic and classical when they even simulated a small part of the muscles above the knee.
The Chigi vase that i posted above is a 7th century vase ans shows probably greaves that covered the leg all around,but the knee was uncovered. Connolly has depicted such greaves in "Greece and Rome at War" http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o276 ... C_0517.jpg and i believe some examples exist in the Olympia museum.
Khaire
Giannis

[richard robinson]

Hi Giannis
I would classify that as an early greave or gutter
Here is the link to the auction site (i have seen it posted elsewhere on RAT so feel confident just now)
edited by moderator due to violation of forum rule # 4
and while my computer wont allow a copy of the photo at this point(and it was likely too large for here)
here is the description from the cataogue.
It is seriously a knee protector that comes low enough to wrap around the calf muscle. I am fairly certain that they are Itallic finds- but thats just an intuitive guess.

edited by moderator due to violation of forum rule # 4

Two short Greek bronze greaves,

5th/4th century B.C. Short, slender greaves with evident anatomical details and slightly projecting rims. Lengths 27.4 and 27,7 cm. Dark red to brown patina. Metallic surfaces show in places. Minor restorations. Reinforced with fiberglass on the back.
edited by moderator due to violation of forum rule # 4

here is the flickr link that was posted on Sitalkes Thrakian yahoogroup. I am sure some of you have alredy discovered this and perhaps have the photos I would love to see.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossitza/s ... 911533668/

Enjoy
Richard

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Yeah,i imagined that you might have meant this kind of greaves. They are Italic indeed and many of them have been found. Have never seen them depicted in art,but i have always assumed they were meant to be worn with boots,thus the lower part is not covering the foot all around.
I have also seen the flickr photostream. Pretty amazing stuff. This cuirass has been discussed before here in RAT. Someone said it was a modern replica,but after seeing those high resollution photos i am again in doubt. The iron sword has also been preserved in excellent condition.
Khaire
Giannis