5th - 6th Cent AD Greaves

[Fhyn]

Greetings folks.

Have searched thru the archives, and pretty much found my answer. But just wanted to make sure.

Greaves pretty much never went out of style, except maybe 1st cent AD, and that is still debated.

But looking at getting into Equestrian, and so doing a late roman cav personna, and want to make sure greaves were still used. At some point, I could of sworn, i had seen greaves with a seperate piece that covered the knee, instead of all one piece, but not sure how late that style went. I thought I had seen 3rd century. But my research is limited to here and a few books I own.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks for your time ans help.

[Theodosius the Great]

Cataphracts probably wore greaves often as part of their ensemble. But I'm unaware of other types of cavalrymen or infantrymen wearing them in the 5th-6th centuries. However, they did sometimes wear a type of greave called toubion, made from colorful fabric. They sometimes reached up to the knee. You can read about them in 'Roman Military Clothing' (3).

~Theo

[John Conyard]

The Strategikon mentions iron and even wooden greaves. Vegetius, although earlier, also advocates them.

[Paulus Claudius Damianus]

Anonymous De Rebus Bellicis and Sidoine Appolinaire too. A mosaic fragment to the Great Palace at Constantinopolis show curt ocrae. There are the IVe century AD Parade ocreae to Alsace. And a lot of academics représentations from IVe to Ve centuries AD.