Show here your Sarmatian warrior impression

[John Conyard]

Good morning,

Alan I do find “steppe culture” a fascinating subject. I don’t think you can ride horses and shoot bows without being drawn into the world of the steppe. But I dislike the notion that one cultural type informs all others, since “techno-borrowings” are generally a two way process.

There are many aspects of your interpretation that could be challenged, and the same is true for all of us. Putting together a collection of items based on archaeological finds, iconography and period writing is really supposition. And most impressions are made worse by the addition of pouches to carry mobile phones, eating knives, bigger knives etc. . Generally belts are decorated like Christmas trees. Your mail shirt is a good safe start.

Getting back to greaves my starting point is once again, if Robert will forgive me, that no greaves have been found from the fourth century, although Vegetius advocates them. (Epit. I.20) Therefore we must try and make an informed choice of type.

Generally late Roman re-enactors base their greaves on mid 3rd century infantry greaves based on a find from Kunzig. Roman military equipment could have a long life span, but 150 years does seem a little long. Late Romans seem to be attracted by many sexy 3rd century items, like broad baldrics and pugios. :roll:

I normally wear a Deurne helmet deposited in the early 4th century, so mid 3rd century cavalry sports greaves seem reasonable choice. I am defining cavalry greaves as those which cover the ankle and knee.


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For a training session last spring I “went Hunnic” based around the Concesti helmet deposited in a Hunnic grave of the early 5th century. I chose splint greaves and arm guards from my equipment room, partly because I could, and partly because they are a reasonable supposition, especially for a warrior from the steppe. The use of splint armour can be traced without too much difficulty from the Scythians to the use of gun powder. It never was abandoned.


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The exact date of the Strategikon attributed to Maurice is a matter for debate, but the late 6th century is a fair bet. Generally it concentrates on cavalry, although book 12 on the infantry seems to date from an earlier work. The last chapter of book 12 specifically contains many Justinianic references to Gothic shoes, Herulian swords, Morrish javelins, and Scythian, Slav, Antes and Persian enemies. This would take us back to the 530’s, before Robert’s Avars and closer to the Concesti helmet than any greaves from Kunzig. Indeed the Strategikon mentions iron and even wooden greaves.(Strat. 12.B.4) both probably of splint construction. Indeed such an early dating can be re-enforced by Procopius (Persian Wars I i 8ff) describing Roman cavalry following steppe tradition including wearing greaves up to the knee.

Even though we can use this written evidence to demonstrate that splint greaves can be perceived to be the “safer bet” for late Romans portraying the period around AD 400, we lack archaeological evidence for their use. Although greaves from Kunzig are less likely in terms of dating, we have archaeological evidence. I have not even considered the use of segmented limb armour, for which we do have archaeological and iconographic evidence.


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In terms of splint armour in the UK the earliest clue may be the plaques on the 6th century helmet at Sutton Hoo, but although the helmet may have been made in the UK the decorative elements are probably from Sweden.

An alternative approach, and one I am in favour of, is not to wear any greaves at all.
Nobody can doubt the contributions of steppe peoples to the Roman military. The contus, horse archery, some shield designs, the draco and many others. The Sarmatian style fittings on the Berkasovo 1 and Budapest helmets stand out for me, indeed I would like to use the latter in 2012.


But I do fear re-enactors copying my kit, anybody else’s kit, Osprey pictures etc. to develop an impression. Always use primary sources. Often in the sand school we will get dressed up as all sorts of stuff, often Hunnic, but it is hardly for public viewing!


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