Use of Vambraces (arm guards)

[Marcus Germanicus Ferox]

Salve meum commes

Does anyone have any comments on the use of the above? Were or were they not used by Legionary or Auxilliary soldiers? If so were they more common in any particular period? Was it an Officer thing? Have any finds been made? If not should we then immediately assume they weren't used? I made a pair which I used in an impression posted in the re-enactment section and the topic was brought up. Only a small point I know, but still of interest to me.

Also, probably the wrong section, but hey lets go for it, Does any one know where to get a good hastsa or at least the business end (point) in the UK? Does Len Morgan make them?

Look forward to your comments

Vale for now

Ferox

[Carlton Bach]

The only arm guards I am aware of for the Roman period are articulated 'manicae' or padded cloth. We have evidence for the former being used (most likely by legionaries) from the Adamklissi metopes. Hard to say if they were common, but I doubt it. They are frequently seen on depictions of Parthian and Persian heavy cavalry and probably got taken over by the Romans in on a large scale when they took over clibanarii.

I think the pre-classical Greeks used rigid vambraces, but I can't think of anything past the Persian Wars.

[Marcus Germanicus Ferox]

Hi Volker

Was aware of manicae etc, but was meaning the smaller leather type vambrace. More of Hollywood thing adopted from archers wrist guards maybe?

Have seen quite a few re-enactors wearing them. Does anyone within this forum use them in their impressions?

Ferox.

[hoplite14gr]

Hand protection is clearly assosiated with Romano-Byzantine and Byzantine armies. Chroniclers talk about "cheropsela". I guess they must have been used by client state catafracts supporting the Roman Armies and by Late Roman Armies catafracts.
Osperey had some pictorial reconstructions of Seleukidic catafracts using them. Threre are of course the anti-falx protected legionneries of The Dakian wars.
Kind regards
Stefanos

[richsc]

This reminds me of the recent xray of the manica found at Carlysle. What is going on with that?

[Anonymous]

Was aware of manicae etc, but was meaning the smaller leather type vambrace. More of Hollywood thing adopted from archers wrist guards maybe?

It seems to be very much a Hollywood thing. If you go to Hollywood and go up to the huge 'Hollywood' sign on the hill, you'll find an engraved slab of granite under the 'H'. It reads:

'WHENSOEVER THOU DOST MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT THE ROMANS, THOU SHALT DEPICT THEM WEARING VAMBRACES!'

It's signed 'GOD' and was put there by Charlton Heston.