01-29-2009, 04:38 PM
Rick,
In George Dennis’ translation of "Three Byzantine Military Treatises" a Byzantine equivalent to the Roman subarmalis called the Peristithidion is mentioned as being worn under metallic armour and above the clothes to make it more comfortable for the soldier.
The Varangian Bra goes back to the 5th Century in Sassanid art and appears soon after in Byzantine art. (See Sven's article from the Varangian Voice back in '93
[url:ruh3rjzu]http://www.nvg.org.au/documents/vv/vv_issue_28.pdf[/url])
No real conclusions then. It could be an artistic convention representing a real piece of equipment but it doesn't appear in any of the military manuals. Or does it
My original contention remains that rather than being merely vestigal artistic convention it represents the Peristithidion.
You’ll find the reference in The Anonymous Byzantine Treatise on Strategey Section 16 Armament.
Try the top and bottom paragraphs of page 55 in that edition. The top reference is to a garment (himation) at least a finger thick under armour - a kabadion? The other reference to the padded garment under armour is at the bottom of the page (you'll find the Greek word peristithidia at the top of page 56.
While this document was originally written in the 6th Century and its language may simply reflect an archaic or earlier description of the kabadion, it was also read in the 10th and 11th Centuries.
The archaizing Joshua Scroll has them. Even though it is 10th C the artistic style mimics that of a much earlier date – The figures depicted on the 10th C Joshua Casket ( also with Bras) have similar armor. and the style is similar to that depicted on the Joshua Scroll – a deliberate archaizing confection – a Byzantine anachronism - which is the artistic equivalent of them using good Attic Greek for formal texts but actually speaking Medieval- almost modern Greek.
Horvath discusses the Joshua armour in a different context in his article on the Sutton Hoo armour and arrives at it being copied from 7th C originals.
[url:ruh3rjzu]http://horvathdp.googlepages.com/AFJ2007_Horvath.pdf[/url]
He mentions in passing the helmets of the David plates ( dated to 627-530 AD as most of have imperial control hallmarks) are identical to Joshua and Achilles type. See [url:ruh3rjzu]http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/publications/pdfs/david/DAVID_PLATES_ENTIRE_BOOK.pdf[/url] for pretty pictures.
Not very helpful but it illustrates how some things in Byzantine art must be treated with caution.
In George Dennis’ translation of "Three Byzantine Military Treatises" a Byzantine equivalent to the Roman subarmalis called the Peristithidion is mentioned as being worn under metallic armour and above the clothes to make it more comfortable for the soldier.
The Varangian Bra goes back to the 5th Century in Sassanid art and appears soon after in Byzantine art. (See Sven's article from the Varangian Voice back in '93
[url:ruh3rjzu]http://www.nvg.org.au/documents/vv/vv_issue_28.pdf[/url])
No real conclusions then. It could be an artistic convention representing a real piece of equipment but it doesn't appear in any of the military manuals. Or does it
My original contention remains that rather than being merely vestigal artistic convention it represents the Peristithidion.
You’ll find the reference in The Anonymous Byzantine Treatise on Strategey Section 16 Armament.
Try the top and bottom paragraphs of page 55 in that edition. The top reference is to a garment (himation) at least a finger thick under armour - a kabadion? The other reference to the padded garment under armour is at the bottom of the page (you'll find the Greek word peristithidia at the top of page 56.
While this document was originally written in the 6th Century and its language may simply reflect an archaic or earlier description of the kabadion, it was also read in the 10th and 11th Centuries.
The archaizing Joshua Scroll has them. Even though it is 10th C the artistic style mimics that of a much earlier date – The figures depicted on the 10th C Joshua Casket ( also with Bras) have similar armor. and the style is similar to that depicted on the Joshua Scroll – a deliberate archaizing confection – a Byzantine anachronism - which is the artistic equivalent of them using good Attic Greek for formal texts but actually speaking Medieval- almost modern Greek.
Horvath discusses the Joshua armour in a different context in his article on the Sutton Hoo armour and arrives at it being copied from 7th C originals.
[url:ruh3rjzu]http://horvathdp.googlepages.com/AFJ2007_Horvath.pdf[/url]
He mentions in passing the helmets of the David plates ( dated to 627-530 AD as most of have imperial control hallmarks) are identical to Joshua and Achilles type. See [url:ruh3rjzu]http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/publications/pdfs/david/DAVID_PLATES_ENTIRE_BOOK.pdf[/url] for pretty pictures.
Not very helpful but it illustrates how some things in Byzantine art must be treated with caution.
Peter Raftos
