01-30-2017, 01:34 AM
What are the main sources about Roxolanian military tactics and equipment?
I found randomly this quote in Tacitus Historiae 1, 79 that says: " ferreis lamminis aut praeduro corio consertum" ("made of iron plates or hardened leather") about the Roxolani cataphracts' armours and I was curious if anyone of you could give me other sources. Do we have any archeological findings or artworks about it? In the Trajan Column for exemple the Roxolani seem to wear only iron scale armour as far as I have seen, but then again I didn't see everything :-)
In particular Tacitus in that same text, in the following lines, talks about how the armour was restricting the movement of the Roxolani in particular conditions (mud/rough terrain) and generally beeing a disadvantage against the more flexible Roman soldiers. But that wouldn't really be a thing for a "leather armour", wouldn't it? That wouldn't slow them down enough to justify Tacitus' phrases.
So, did they really use hardened leather for heavy cavalry units? Or is Tacitus exaggerating it?
I found randomly this quote in Tacitus Historiae 1, 79 that says: " ferreis lamminis aut praeduro corio consertum" ("made of iron plates or hardened leather") about the Roxolani cataphracts' armours and I was curious if anyone of you could give me other sources. Do we have any archeological findings or artworks about it? In the Trajan Column for exemple the Roxolani seem to wear only iron scale armour as far as I have seen, but then again I didn't see everything :-)
In particular Tacitus in that same text, in the following lines, talks about how the armour was restricting the movement of the Roxolani in particular conditions (mud/rough terrain) and generally beeing a disadvantage against the more flexible Roman soldiers. But that wouldn't really be a thing for a "leather armour", wouldn't it? That wouldn't slow them down enough to justify Tacitus' phrases.
So, did they really use hardened leather for heavy cavalry units? Or is Tacitus exaggerating it?
Giovanni Brambillasca
Non indignemur mortalia corpora solvi:
cernimus exemplis oppida posse mori.
Rutilius Namatianus, De Reditu Suo, Liber I, 413-414
