Seleucid cataphract

[etruschi]

The Seleucid cataphract's legs in this picture are protected by (an advanced form of ) a Persian armed saddle or Parapleuridia. It's a pitty the armed saddle isn't totally visible, but it is accepted that it had a very stiff (wooden) construction covered with metal scales.
A while ago I had the oppurtunity to see the saddle and chaps of an Argentinian Gaucho. I always thought that it were 2 chaps and that they were attached to the rider's legs, but I was surprised to see that they are made of one piece and are attached to the saddle. Even if the rider isn't on the horse, it stays attached to the saddle. The piece is attached to the saddle by means of a very stiff felt frontal piece (as high as the rider's belly). The actual chaps are made of more flexible felt and are tied to the girdle of the rider.
In my opinion the Seleucid's armed saddle was constructed in this way (felt construction covered with iron scales) rather than it had a wooden construction. It certainly would have been much easier for the rider to get on the horse and not so clumsy in battle.
This said, I have a few questions.
As I would like to convert a figure in such a cataphract, I would like to know if these men wore trousers or if they rode the horse barelegged? I have to know this as the back part of the legs will be partly visible. Is it possible that they wore armed boots as the man in front of the cataphract does?
Did the laminated arm protectors form a full circle as can be seen in the drawing or where they more constructed in the way as the Parthian arm protectors which can be seen on the other drawing? I myself tend to go for the Parthian arm protectors.
Hope you can help me with this.
Thanks
Etruschi

[etruschi]

I see I forgot to post the drawing of the Seleucid cataphract. Here it is. Sorry.
Etruschi

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I don't know much about the Seleucids (Although thanks to RTW they're my favorite Ptolemaic nation.)

I know some about Late Roman cataphracts, and generally speaking on Catafractarii and Clibanarii Arm protectors wrapped all the way around, and they wore trousers (which are a must with Leg protection really)

[Michael J. Taylor]

Sadly, this is something that I think we simply do not know. No ancient representation of a Seleucid cataphract survives, and little description is given or their arm or armor. We do know that some of the soldiers in the Seleucid Agema (who fought as heavy cavalry) were Median, raising the possibility that they could have worn Iranian style trousers. Any illustrative reconstruction of a Seleucid cataphract is highly conjectural, mostly based on evidence for Late Antique cataphracts/clibanarii, such as the Dura graffito.

[Renatus]

Several of the items of equipment in the illustration of Seleucid warriors derive from the Pergamum reliefs, namely, the face-mask helmet, cuirass and arm armour of the standing cavalryman, the frontlet of the cataphract's horse and the chamfron of the Companion cavalryman's horse. The standing cavalryman's armoured boots are, so far as I am aware, purely conjectural. However, the Pergamum reliefs include greaves which could constitute the Seleucid cataphract's leg armour. This would tie in with Plutarch's description of the battle of Tigranocerta in which he has Lucullus ordering his men to strike at the legs and thighs of the Armenian kataphraktoi, which were the only parts of their bodies left exposed. This could relate to their thighs being protected only by pteruges and the backs of their calves left unprotected by the greaves.

[Renatus]

Some additions are required to my earlier post.

I spoke of the frontlet of the cataphract's horse. The word I was seeking but could not remember at the time is peytral.

I have now checked illustrations of the Pergamum reliefs. The standing cavalryman's cuirass is similar to but not exactly the same as some examples on the reliefs. However, the mercenary's helmet and the Companion cavalryman's shield are both taken from the reliefs.

[Urselius]

Xenophon mentions "the hand" - an armguard for the bridle arm of cavalrymen - so the use of manica by Greek cavalry had quite a long history.

[Vindex]

It's a pitty the armed saddle isn't totally visible, but it is accepted that it had a very stiff (wooden) construction covered with metal scales.

Could I trouble you for the reference article or paper which gives evidence for the wooden tree/construction for the saddle, please? Archaeological evidence (not a reconstruction) would be even better.

Many thanks.