12-15-2006, 02:40 PM
Suppose we could start by asking what you mean by "the heavy catafract".
If you mean a fully armoured man on a fully armoured horse then you are looking at the Kataphraktoi as described by Nikephoros Phokas in his Praecepta - so the middle of the C10thAD.
Heraklios' army certainly used horse armour - there is the account of the emperor's horse being hit but not being hurt because of it's armour. However, if we assume that their equipment was more or less that described in the Strategikon of Maurikios then you are looking at horse armour for the front of the horse only.
The Byzantines use the Hunnic bow as I recall which was longer and more powerful than the Skythian bow.
As for armour mail remained pretty common from what I understand, although, lamellar was also popular and often appears on pictures of warrior saints IIRC.
The padded armour over mail would be, I think, the Epilorikon - I doubt padding would be protection from heat.
If you mean a fully armoured man on a fully armoured horse then you are looking at the Kataphraktoi as described by Nikephoros Phokas in his Praecepta - so the middle of the C10thAD.
Heraklios' army certainly used horse armour - there is the account of the emperor's horse being hit but not being hurt because of it's armour. However, if we assume that their equipment was more or less that described in the Strategikon of Maurikios then you are looking at horse armour for the front of the horse only.
The Byzantines use the Hunnic bow as I recall which was longer and more powerful than the Skythian bow.
As for armour mail remained pretty common from what I understand, although, lamellar was also popular and often appears on pictures of warrior saints IIRC.
The padded armour over mail would be, I think, the Epilorikon - I doubt padding would be protection from heat.
Nik Gaukroger
"Never ask a man if he comes from Yorkshire. If he does, he will tell you.
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"Never ask a man if he comes from Yorkshire. If he does, he will tell you.
If he does not, why humiliate him?" - Canon Sydney Smith
mailto:[email protected]
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.endoftime.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/">http://www.endoftime.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/