Byzantine Weapons and Warfare

[Eleatic Guest]

Perhaps slightly off-topic here ( :mrgreen: ), but what is a good reference on the -rare- Byzantine use of gunpowder weapons in the 14th and 15th century?

[hoplite14gr]

firearms is generally believed they were not of Byzantine manufacture but imported.
In Frantzes cronicle, Lukas Notaras tells Palaologos that the guns are more damaging to the wall than to the enemy.

Latiniknon finaly in English from my blog:

http://stefanosskarmintzos.wordpress.com...byzantium/

Better late than never :mrgreen:

[hoplite14gr]

miliitary saints from Laconia.

http://www.apidealakonias.gr/uploads/ima...sel41b.jpg
http://www.apidealakonias.gr/uploads/ima...sel46a.jpg

[Robert Vermaat]

Thanks Stefanos!

miliitary saints from Laconia.
http://www.apidealakonias.gr/uploads/ima...sel41b.jpg
http://www.apidealakonias.gr/uploads/ima...sel46a.jpg

That second one, that's an angel, right, not a military saint? Can't quite make out what armour he is wearing...

[hoplite14gr]

I think it is a studded leather jacket

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Archangel Michael or Gabriel?

[batesmotel]

Is there a strong reason to believe the angel is wearing armor at all rather than just clothing. If someone didn't tell me otherwise, I'd interpret what might be studs as just decoration on clothing.

Chris

[Peter Raftos]

I am pretty sure the 'armour" is actually a jewel encrusted superhumeral.

[richard robinson]

I would agree with Mr Raftos re this particular Angel

regards
Richard

[Urselius]

The depictions of Byzantine kremasmata (skirt defenses) have interested me for some time the following 12th century steatite icon is particularly illuminating:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Byzant..._41205.jpg

St. George wears a klivanion and kremasmata. The detailling is excellent. I know that Dawson has often interpreted such vertical banding patterns as depicting the stitching on quilted textile. However, here rivet heads are, I think, shown fairly unequivocally. Quilted textile on its own has no need of rivets. Either metal splints, each attached to a backing by a rivet, and below the rivet a single lacing point, or alternatively a brigandine-like arrangement of metal splints between two layers of textile, held together by rivets and stitching, are being depicted.

[AMELIANVS]

In the past I had available this byzantine silver plate depicting Achilles and Briseis from around 550 AD in high resolution,I think I got it from wikipedia,but now I can not find it there anymore,at least not under the names Achilles or Briseis,nor in my home files.I could not find it also anywhere else on the Internet(only in very bad resolution)...so I would be grateful if anyone can post it here in good resolution quality.

[hoplite14gr]

15th century Cretan archer from those that defended Constandinople in 1453 AD

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ePAPbenf3gM/T0...ccelio.jpg

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Hello people,

are there any people who have information on this axe, ie dimensions and weight?

Any help would be appreciated.

[attachment=6936]becdc617e099.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=6937]Scan0051.jpg[/attachment]

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Who ever moved this to where it is now, could you either put it some where sensible, or leave it to Caballo, as I have already asked him to move it to the Byzantine topic area.
:whistle: (which is still in the late Roman era.....so not off topic)

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

There is very little info on this in the Osprey book, and apart from these images which can be found on the web, I am not sure how I would find the info I need.
Perhaps some of the guys from the Balkan region would have this info?