Late 2nd-early 3rd century AD. A beautiful pair of Roman bronze greaves (ocreae) for cavalry or infantry, providing defence for the shins and knees, each with a separate and articulated knee-guard; the first greave showing a slight pronounced central ridge, the lateral tabs for attachment of the leather strings still visible, both on the greave and knee-guard, the offset edge strips are perforated for attachment of the strap eyelets, while on the upper edge is visible the device for the attachment of the knee joint hinge; on the second greave is an undetected leg splint with slightly more marked central ridge, here the offset edges show the remains of four rivetted tabs to which were attached large rings for the attachment straps, the upper edge with the usual recess for the hinge to attach the knee protection; both greaves show at the lower end a slightly pronounced ankle protection. See Robinson, R., The Armour of Imperial Rome, New York, 1975; Garbsch, J., Römische Paraderustüngen, München, 1979; Kolnìk, T., Rímske a Germ?nske Umenie na Slovensku, Bratislava, 1984; Junkelmann M., Reiter wie Statuen aus Erz, Mainz, 1996; Born H. / Junkelmann, M., Roman Combat and Tournament Armours - Axel Guttmann Collection, vol. 4, Mainz 1997; Bishop M.C. & Coulston J.C.N., Roman military equipment, from the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, Oxford, 2006; D’Amato, R., Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier, London, 2009; D’Amato-Salimbeti, Bronze Age Greek Warrior, 1600-1100 BC, Oxford, 2011; D'Amato R., Negin A., Decorated Roman Armour, London, 2017. 400 grams total, 44-44.5cm (17 1/2"). From an important English collection; acquired in the 1990s; accompanied by an academic report by Roman military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato. Greaves (ocreae) were known as protective equipment as early as in the epics by Homer (Ilias, X, 8, 613), with archaeological finds coming from previous and contemporary Achaean warrior graves (D’Amato-Salimbeti, 2011, pp.36-38"). The use of the greaves inside the Roman army is already attested for the age of the Kings, in 6th century BC, provided for the first class of Hoplites forming the Servian army (Dionysius of Halicarnassus, IV, 16-17; Livy, I,43"). Originally the Romans used mainly Greek and Etruscan pieces which protected the whole lower leg, fashioned around the lower part of it and anatomically fitting the leg. Since the late Consular age were introduced greaves of simpler design, which were made of a bronze plate laced to the front of the leg only, sometimes fitted with a separate knee-guard (D’Amato-Negin, 2017, pp.48-49"). Based on the iconographic sources, centurions in the Roman Imperial army wore decorated greaves (Robinson, 1975, pls.442,445), highly decorated greaves for war and sport games (Hyppika Gymnasia) are recorded in the Roman Archaeology from the second to the early fourth century AD (Garbsch, 1979, pls. 3, 11, 38 and fig. 5, p.11; D’Amato-Negin, 2017, figs.111, 115-124"). Based on the images on the metopae of the memorial in Adamclissi, short, plain unadorned greaves evidently came to be used again by the heavy armoured legionaries (milites gravis armaturae) at the beginning of the second century AD, in order to protect their right leg which was not covered by the shield, or both legs (D’Amato, 2009, p.150, figs.205a, 205c"). It is notable that the greaves of the soldiers were shorter than those of the officers, and that the fastening system was partly different. The knee protection was usually missing: the upper part of the greave was cut horizontally just under the knee and fastened by means of a complicate lacing system at the back of the legs. The Adamclisi specimens have been confirmed by archaeology in later specimens datable to the third century AD and found in Kunzing (Robinson, 1975, pl.510"). The use of greaves for infantry and cavalry continued for the whole second and third century AD on, where pairs of greaves came to be used by heavy infantry, as shown, for example, by the image of a pair of greaves on the tombstone of Severus Acceptus of the Legio VIII Augusta (Bishop-Coulston, 2006, fig.111, p.174), or, for the cavalry, by the recent undecorated specimen found on the Abrittus battlefield (D’Amato-Negin, 2017, fig.125"). Undecorated greaves like our specimens have been found in Eining (early third century AD, München, Archäologische Staatssammlung), Lower Italy (second century AD, Brussels, Musée du Cinquantenaire), Hebron (early second century AD, Jerusalem, National Museum), Oberstimm (second century AD, ingolstadt, Museum) (D’Amato-Negin, 2017, figs.112-113"). Other similar specimens from private collections, like the recently published greaves belonging to the Axel Guttmann Collections (Born - Junkelmann, 1997, S.128, Abb. 82, Taf. XV; Junkelmann, 1996, Q 22"). Most probably our specimens are from a battlefield or from a sacrificial grave of a Germanic warrior. Undecorated bronze or iron examples found elsewhere have a vertical ridge along their whole length in the middle and a more-or-less tight bend, copying the outline of the calf (D’Amato-Negin, 2017, figs.113–114) on both sides, there are two or three bronze rings rivetted to them to insert leather straps to attach them to the leg. Since these greaves have a straight edge at top and bottom, they do not protect the knee or ankle, and due to this we can classify this design as an infantry version. This seems logical, as the infantryman’s knee would have been covered by his fairly large shield and on the basis of images showing similar pieces on infantrymen. A more complex shape, such as, for example, from the greave from Eining, has a curved bottom edge or protruding side parts to protect the ankles, like in our specimens. In addition, in such examples there is a hinged knee part with side loops for attaching a strap. According to J. Garbsch, protection of the knee and ankle proves that it is a cavalry version. This should be not considered an absolute rule, because iconography shows also the employment of full protective greaves, fitted with knee guards, also from infantry, since the second century AD (stele of the optio Aelius Septimus, from Brigetio, s. Kolnìk, 1984, fig.30"). [2]