09-06-2008, 11:54 AM
Thanks Stefan. We know from Maurices's Strategikon and from memeory John Malalas mentions Belisarios using caltrops quite early in the piece. I think Anna Komnena mentions her fathers use of them to slow Frankish cavalry.
One of the middle byzantine manuals also says that on campaign 8 or 9 caltrops on a rope per man were carried. Each dekarkhia had a metal spike which was hammered into the ground in front of the ditch, and the caltrop ropes attached to it and flung outwards to deter cavalry from attacking encampments.
Egfroth demonstrates here:
[url:1vpfwnsw]http://nvg.org.au/gallery/albums/Byzantine-Defenceworks/LaTrobe_event_015.mov[/url]
One of the middle byzantine manuals also says that on campaign 8 or 9 caltrops on a rope per man were carried. Each dekarkhia had a metal spike which was hammered into the ground in front of the ditch, and the caltrop ropes attached to it and flung outwards to deter cavalry from attacking encampments.
Egfroth demonstrates here:
[url:1vpfwnsw]http://nvg.org.au/gallery/albums/Byzantine-Defenceworks/LaTrobe_event_015.mov[/url]
Peter Raftos