Attic greaves. V century BC – II century BC.
€ 500
Scythian-Greek / Europe
V BC – II BC.
Price is for pair.
Steel blackened.
Brass not blackened.
During Greek antiquity, greaves were mentioned in many texts, including Hesiod’s “Shield of Heracles”, Homer’s “Iliad” and Virgil’s “Aeneid”. In the “Illiad”, the Greek forces are commonly referred to as “well-greaved Acheans”. There are also non-fictional testimonies of their use among Roman light infantry from Polybius up to Vegetius. These greaves are thought to have been mass-produced by the Romans. While it is generally assumed that greaves were always worn in pairs, there is evidence that many wore just a single greave on the left or right leg. Many skeletons have been found buried with only a single greave, including gladiators and soldiers. People may have worn a single greave as a sign of status, as opposed to any practical use.
