ΠΟΡΦΥΡΑ - Porphyra

A Prôtospatharios, Magistros, and Strategos Autokrator of 11 th cent.
the equipment of Georgios Maniakes and his army according to the Skylitzes Matritensis miniatures
and other artistic sources of the middle Byzantine period.
It seems evident to me that the authors are not using here the
word µανικια as simple word for “sleeve” but to indicate an
element of protection from the shoulder down to the elbows and
then from the elbows to the hands 90 .
The fastening system can be seen by a scanner analysis
of this source: it seems to be a system formed by two rows of
metallic lamellae ; a leather thong held each lower longer
lamella strongly tied to the higher ; the whole structure formed a
single compact lamellar bracelet put on a soft base, probably
made of leather or κουκουλιον. The koukoulion was a kind of
silk of low quality but strong and used for padding parts of
military dress as well, as being used for instance for the
καβαδια and kremasmata edges of the κλιβανιον. 91 The
bracelet was then possibly fastened around the arm by means of
a metallic boned clasp (fig.7 n. 8), like a true bracelet, probably
in the way shown by clasps of a pair of 9 th century επικαρπια
of a senior officer found in Thessaloniki. 92 An other way to
fasten similar µανικια to the arm was with a simple buckle, as
shown in a fresco of the Church Karanlik in Goreme,
Kappadokia. 93
The shield of Maniakes (σκουταριον - fig.7 n.5), is
based on the miniature of Skylitzès showing him in his last
battle (fig.3). It is the so-called kite-shield or “three cornered
shield”, of about 105,3 cm. c. length described as used by the
cavalry in the Sylloge Tacticorum ( 39,1) and of about 93,6-117
cm. described, always for the cavalry, by Praecepta Militaria
(IV, 36-37) 94 . This shield was circa 70 cm. wide in the largest
point 95 . The structure was normally wood-framed covered by
leather, and in our reconstruction, by blue-dyed donkey or oxen
hide 96 , with a red- leather edge stitched all-around and riveted
padded cloth, felt, wadding, just as mentioned in the passage of Praecepta Militaria mentioned above, or in boiled
leather: S. also Leo, Taktika,V,3; Syll.Tact.,39,2. About it s. Kolias, Waffen, pp.65-69 ; Mc Geer, Showing..., p. 62 ;
Haldon, Expeditions, p. 289.
90
A interesting confirmation comes from the fresco of the Church of the Serpent, in Goreme, above mentioned. Here
the cavalryman wears, from the point on the shoulders where ends the lamellar armour : 1) until the elbows - after a
short space of padded cloth - a metallic µανικιον (the colour used in the fresco is the same for the iron of the
κλιβανιον) ; 2) from the elbows to the hands is padded cloth protection, followed by metallic plates forming a short
cheiropsellon protecting the forearm. It seems to me that we have all the elements described in Praecepta Militaria,
even ζαβαι covering both µανικια and µανικελλια formed by metallic and not metallic materials. The fresco dates of
the 11 th century. See a colour photo in Güven F., Cappadoce, Goreme, Eski Nevsehir, p. 23.
91
Praecepta Militaria, I,3; III, 4 ; Nikephoros Ouranos 56,3 ; 60, 4 s. Mc Geer, Showing.., p. 12-13 ; 34-35 ; 61-62 ;
88-89 ; 113-115 ; Kolias, Waffen, 56-57 and notes 149-150.
92
Hetherington-Forman, Byzantium, p. 90; Wessel K., Die byzantinischen Emailkunst vom 5. bis 13.Jh,
Recklimghausen 1967 pl.14; these magnificent specimens are represented as dressed on the wrists of an Imperial
Guardsmen in the folio 215v of the Gregorius Nazianzenus Cod. Gr. 510 de la Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris, 9 th
century, cfr. Der Nersessian, L’illustration, I pl. XXXIX p. 23. I worked on a film of the miniature to note the detail.
93
See Gűven, Cappadoce, p. 32 ; Nicolle, Arms and Armours, fig. 530a.
94
See McGeer cit. p. 40-41 and p. 72; Kolias, Waffen, p. 109; Heath, Byzantine Armies, cit. plates C 1, H 2,3 and pp.
35, 40.
95
See Heath J., Armies of the Dark Ages, 600-1066, Worthing, 1980, p. 68 fig. 13.
96 th
The use of donkey hide for military shield is attested, for the 11 century, by a letter of Maximos Planudes, who
complains about the parchment sent to him to writing, made of donkey hide. He says that it should be better used by the
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