08-31-2011, 01:26 PM
Salvete!
Just a couple of general comments:
Thanks to Caballo for posting the pic from the Notitia Dignitatum. I must admit that I had seen this picture many times but always assumed that the tubular items were horse chamfrons. However, I find the identification as breast plates quite compelling. Interestingly, the copyists of the first version of Ottheinrich's copy of the Notitia also identified them as breast plates and show them in this way (although in the fashion of their own time). Both this first version and the later more accurate version are available online here: http://www.bsb-muenchen.de/Notitia-digni...699.0.html
Further, the blue color of these breast plates can hardly be identified as anything else but metal.
With respect to use of the Musculata by officers, you could consider the following items of evidence which may indicate different equipment between rank and file:
In the DURA EUROPOS frescoe referred to in the other thread, the soldiers in the background wear short scale/mail skirts with white pteryges. The light blue color may indicate iron or tinned bronze. One has a brown vertical band which may either be a belt or a breast band. Their tunics appear to be pinkish and their coats brown. The officer(?) in the foreground has the same appearance, except that his tunic is blue and his coat red. His armour has the same cut but shows no scales. It is orange-brown. It clearly covers the shoulders which would appear to rule out bronze. He also has a white breast band and wears leg guards. The attempt to show Niederbieber/Heddernheim helmets reinforces the appearance of a very naturalistic depiction.
The "Deliverance of the Citadel of the Faithful" Wood Carving from Egypt shows an army preceded by a labarum banner relieving a besieged city. The fleeing besiegers wear scale and mail very clearly rendered but no helmets. All soldiers in the citadel as well as in the relief force except for two appear to wear t-shirt cuirasses hatched in order to denote mail or scale. The - headless - remaining two figures wear muscle cuirasses with tabs and pteryges. These figures are prominently positioned and one is rendered much larger than all other soldiers so both may represent the leader of the besieged and the relief force respectively.
Actually the fighting scenes of the arch of Constantine show most soldiers apparently wearing no armour at all. The individual figures at the front and end of formations who appear to wear muscle cuirasses with pteryges could be interpreted as officers. The pedestal reliefs show individuals in muscle cuirasses which appear to cover the shoulder. A single medaillon has a headless figure in a muscle cuirass which appears to be metallic because it does not cover the shoulders, appears to have a raised rim and has shoulder straps tied to a ring. It also appears to be clearly separated from the undergarment with the pteryges. In view of their more prominent positions, these individuals could represent officers or guards.
On the majority of mosaic panels in S.Maria Maggiore in Rome, the soldiers wear armour broadly cut like a Hellenistic T&Y cuirass depicted in light blue with a red breast field. Some also clearly wear scale armour and some may wear mail. True muscle cuirasses are also shown but only worn by commanders. They are shown in light blue (iron/silver).
On the Barberini-Diptych, the emperor on horseback wears a short muscle cuirass with pteryges. The shoulder flaps are slim and long and tucked into a strap around the breast similar to a Varangian bra. The general has the same type of armour except that it clearly covers the shoulder (and therefore cannot be plate armour). On the other hand, Honorius on the ivory posted above is also wearing a cuirass which covers the shoulder so this would not appear to indicate a less valuable cuirass.
As there are many depictions of rank and file in muscle cuirass, the foregoing do not appear to be conclusive evidence of use of this type of armor being limited to officers.
Just a couple of general comments:
Thanks to Caballo for posting the pic from the Notitia Dignitatum. I must admit that I had seen this picture many times but always assumed that the tubular items were horse chamfrons. However, I find the identification as breast plates quite compelling. Interestingly, the copyists of the first version of Ottheinrich's copy of the Notitia also identified them as breast plates and show them in this way (although in the fashion of their own time). Both this first version and the later more accurate version are available online here: http://www.bsb-muenchen.de/Notitia-digni...699.0.html
Further, the blue color of these breast plates can hardly be identified as anything else but metal.
With respect to use of the Musculata by officers, you could consider the following items of evidence which may indicate different equipment between rank and file:
In the DURA EUROPOS frescoe referred to in the other thread, the soldiers in the background wear short scale/mail skirts with white pteryges. The light blue color may indicate iron or tinned bronze. One has a brown vertical band which may either be a belt or a breast band. Their tunics appear to be pinkish and their coats brown. The officer(?) in the foreground has the same appearance, except that his tunic is blue and his coat red. His armour has the same cut but shows no scales. It is orange-brown. It clearly covers the shoulders which would appear to rule out bronze. He also has a white breast band and wears leg guards. The attempt to show Niederbieber/Heddernheim helmets reinforces the appearance of a very naturalistic depiction.
The "Deliverance of the Citadel of the Faithful" Wood Carving from Egypt shows an army preceded by a labarum banner relieving a besieged city. The fleeing besiegers wear scale and mail very clearly rendered but no helmets. All soldiers in the citadel as well as in the relief force except for two appear to wear t-shirt cuirasses hatched in order to denote mail or scale. The - headless - remaining two figures wear muscle cuirasses with tabs and pteryges. These figures are prominently positioned and one is rendered much larger than all other soldiers so both may represent the leader of the besieged and the relief force respectively.
Actually the fighting scenes of the arch of Constantine show most soldiers apparently wearing no armour at all. The individual figures at the front and end of formations who appear to wear muscle cuirasses with pteryges could be interpreted as officers. The pedestal reliefs show individuals in muscle cuirasses which appear to cover the shoulder. A single medaillon has a headless figure in a muscle cuirass which appears to be metallic because it does not cover the shoulders, appears to have a raised rim and has shoulder straps tied to a ring. It also appears to be clearly separated from the undergarment with the pteryges. In view of their more prominent positions, these individuals could represent officers or guards.
On the majority of mosaic panels in S.Maria Maggiore in Rome, the soldiers wear armour broadly cut like a Hellenistic T&Y cuirass depicted in light blue with a red breast field. Some also clearly wear scale armour and some may wear mail. True muscle cuirasses are also shown but only worn by commanders. They are shown in light blue (iron/silver).
On the Barberini-Diptych, the emperor on horseback wears a short muscle cuirass with pteryges. The shoulder flaps are slim and long and tucked into a strap around the breast similar to a Varangian bra. The general has the same type of armour except that it clearly covers the shoulder (and therefore cannot be plate armour). On the other hand, Honorius on the ivory posted above is also wearing a cuirass which covers the shoulder so this would not appear to indicate a less valuable cuirass.
As there are many depictions of rank and file in muscle cuirass, the foregoing do not appear to be conclusive evidence of use of this type of armor being limited to officers.
Regards,
Jens Horstkotte
Munich, Germany
Jens Horstkotte
Munich, Germany
