RE: Byzantines in space..was Re: X to GZG conversions...

No.  There were Kataphractoi/Klibanophoroi  earlier than Nikephoros
(early 10th cent.). Also 10th century manuals refer to Kavallaroi (I
believe but I will have to look it up). Anyway the Kataphractoi were the
heavy heavy cavalry.  The Romans also used the name for ships (new ship
types,hint hint) to show that rowers were covered with decking (armour)
rather than being exposed like on the triers.As for the peltasts when
Anna Comnena talks about them she seems to describe skirmishing and is
using the standard Byzantine habit of archaic terms.

I agree we can take this offline and it is good see someone interested
in the topic.  I can remember a few years back driving from Toronto to a
conference in Michigan (USA).  At the border the inspector asked me the
reason for my visit.  When I answered  "I'm attending a Byzantine
Studies Conference" he surprised me by replying "Oh a Medieavalist!  Go
ahead."

David Best  
>----------
>From:	Tony Wilkinson[SMTP:twilko@ozemail.com.au]
>Sent:	Friday, May 01, 1998 4:04 AM
>To:	FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
>Subject:	RE: Byzantines in space..was Re: X to GZG conversions...
>
>>Kataphractos is an alternate name for  Klibanophoros, the lesser
>
>	No! Kataphractos is any cavalry, but light skirmishing cavalry,
which was
>all (technically) meant to have armour. Kavallaroi is a term used from
12th
>century on. The Klibanophoros were created by Nikephoros II about 965.
They
>were meant to be the revival of the old Roman Cataphractoi, ie Heavily
>armoured men riding heavily armoured horses. The fact that Nikephoros
used
>a name that in old Persian refered to a somewhat lighter cavarly type
(man
>with breastplate and helmet, horse only partial armour at best) is
rather
>ironic. As for the Peltastoi it is rather hard to work out what they
were
>actually doing. Traditionally they have been thought of as light
infantry
>but no military manual of the time deals with them. It is quite
possible
>that they were used as line infantry but equipped with javelins as they
had
>no archers in their units as the Skutatoi did. To me, as contemporaries
>were complaining about how few people practiced archery (Brits will
>understand), this is the most likely explaination. :)
>	It's nice to know that someone out there has the same interest
in history
>but I think we'd better go to private mail.
>
>	Tony.
>	"Dues Nobiscum!"
>	"Kyrie Elesion!"
>	twilko@ozemail.com.au
>
>
>