Roman Saddles - A Question

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

IT'S OK...now I know what a half horse town feels like!

[Conal]

IIRC there is a goo dillustration of one in the book Greece and Rome at War. An illustration by Peter Connolly of a relief. It shows a dissmounted cavalyman.

[Vindex]

IIRC there is a goo dillustration of one in the book Greece and Rome at War. An illustration by Peter Connolly of a relief. It shows a dissmounted cavalyman.

Thank you. I don't have the volume to hand but will look it up later.

[jvrjenivs]

IIRC there is a goo dillustration of one in the book Greece and Rome at War. An illustration by Peter Connolly of a relief. It shows a dissmounted cavalyman.

Cannot find that one. At least not one from Britain. Indeed he shows some interesting reliefs, but two are taken from Trajans Column and others from France and Germany. Or am I missing one?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

The one that comes to mind is the republican era ones showing the cavalrymen mounting the horses.

However a quick search found this image...not britain I imagine though. (second one down)

http://www.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=http:...vns&itbs=1

[Vindex]

The one that comes to mind is the republican era ones showing the cavalrymen mounting the horses.

However a quick search found this image...not britain I imagine though. (second one down)

http://www.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=http:...vns&itbs=1

Thanks Byron.

Again, don't have my reference books with me but he looks like one of the tombstones in the Mainz collection; there's one in Xanten which is similar too so we're into stylistic type again I think.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I found the republican image I was thinking of, but it was a memory mistake again, there is no saddle shown on it either. There is another one I'll keep looking for, possibly it does.

[Vindex]

The image shown in the link Byron is Vonatorix of the Ala Longiniana and his tombstone is now in Bonn.(Die Reiter Roms, Junkelmann p61)

Conal - the only image I can find is on page 234 of Connolly's book and it is from Trajan's Column. The other image beside is of the Republican period (altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus) which doesn't show anything on the horse's back at all :roll: So I don't think you're missing anything Jurjen.

I have to say I'm REALLY missing the marvellous databases linked to the forum :-( Makes me appreciate even more!

Edited to add: But thank you to Conal for making me look up the reference and finding the image of the Butzbach helmet and spatha I'd forgotten all about :wink:

[mcbishop]

Although there is archaeological evidence for saddles with horns either from plates or saddle covers (Newstead, Carlisle, Castleford etc etc etc) unlike the iconpgraphy from other parts of Europe, tombstones in the province of Britannia are short on depicting horns on the saddles at all (actually, I haven't found one and wait with bated breath for someone to tell me where I might see one).

Well, we need to look at Rufus Sita's bottom. No, honest, we do.

You can see in front of his thigh there is a stylised horn pointing forwards (schoolboys may offer alternative interpretations, but it is a saddle horn) whilst the left-hand rear one is shown in outline on the background. So where is the right-hand rear? Looks to me like it is broken off; you can see its shape reflected in both Sita's bottom (I told you we need to look at it) and the top of the strap heading towards the saddle which terminates abruptly with a small platform. As tombstones go, it's a bit plain (no girth, no trousers shown) so a lot may have been added in just paint, but that saddle horn was there once.

Mike Bishop

[Vindex]

Thank you, Mike. I can stop holding my breath :wink:

I've been squinting at Sextus Valerius Genialis' "seat" for quite a while too (I really should get out more)and wonder about that one too.

Looking at the quality of Rufus Sita's tombstone compared to the ones in my earlier link I think I'll just have to accept that it is nothing more than a stylistic difference in stone masons' representation.

Thank you all - at least I can finish off my saddle without too many qualms now

[mcbishop]

I've been squinting at Sextus Valerius Genialis' "seat" for quite a while too (I really should get out more)and wonder about that one too.

Definitely the sign of a mis-spent youth. Genialis has sort of residual bumpettes in the right place.

But they are there, nonetheless (and he has a girth, too, which Rufus Sita lacks).

Mike Bishop

[Vindex]

Very clear pictures; thank you very much.

Are these on your flickr page as well as the ones discussed in another thread by any chance?

[mcbishop]

Very clear pictures; thank you very much.

Are these on your flickr page as well as the ones discussed in another thread by any chance?

Yup. All of these are in my Tombstones set (which is basically me scanning and archiving all my old wet chemical photos and any new digital ones I take). Tons to go, still :-?

Mike Bishop

[Vindex]

Without setting your creepometer off again :wink: , they are appreciated.

[mcbishop]

Without setting your creepometer off again :wink: , they are appreciated.

Oh my; there are klaxons going off, the main building just sank into the ground, and there are Titan Terror Fish leaping about all over the place. Clearly my creepometer is slightly too sensitive...

Mike Bishop