Klivanion
The klivanion or klibanion (Greek: κλιβάνιον)[1] was a Byzantine type of lamellar cuirass made of metal plates (lamellae) sewn on leather backing or with no backing at all, with plates protecting the shoulders and the back. This type of lamellar armour first appears in late roman/early byzantine period (4th-5th c AD) and seems to have been adopted by the Byzantines from persian and eurasian steppic military cultures, presenting an evoluition/replacement for the outdated traditional ancient scale armour. The byzantine army used it continuously up until mid- or late 12th century, and arguably developed a distinct and successful tradition in the lamellar armour technology through all those centuries. It was, however, definitely out of use by 1204 and beyond, when it became replaced by other newer forms of the then fast evolvling european military technology, and most importantly by coat-of-plates armour. Etymologically, the name derives from the Greek klivanos (κλίβανος), meaning "oven"[2], because of how this cuirass enclosed a man's torso air-tight (like an oven)[3] and it is generally accepted that it would get hot when worn under the summer sun. It was part of the armour of the Byzantine heavy cavalry and heavy infantry as well.[4][5][6][7][8] The klivanion could also be worn together with a surcoat epilorikion (normally of a single fabric but it is possible it was also occasionally padded) as added covering.[9] Considered one of the best armors together with the zava-lorikion (maille armour), it was worn by thematic tagmata as well as the Byzantine Imperial Guards.[10]
Klivanion was also made for horses and this armor was made from bison hide.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Klivanion revisited: an evolutionary typology and catalogue of middle Byzantine lamellar. | Timothy G Dawson - Academia.edu". Archived from the original on 2013-07-03.
- ^ G. Babiniotis, 2002, Lexikon of the Modern Greek Language, 2nd edition, Centre of Lexicology, Athens https://users.sch.gr/galexiad/files/lexika/babiniotis.pdf
- ^ Dandoulakis, Ioannis (July 2022). "Byzantine Army: The concise 10th-11th century AD imperial infantry and cavalry soldier". Academia Letters. doi:10.20935/AL5623. ISSN 2771-9359.
- ^ Porphyra (Πορφύρα), da un' idea di Nicola Bergamo, a cura di Dott. Raffaele D' Amato. p.15
- ^ Dawson Timothy (2009) Byzantine Cavalryman C.900-1204, Osprey Publishing.
- ^ Dawson Timothy, Klivanion revisited: an evolutionary typology and catalogue of middle Byzantine lamellar’, Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies, 12/13 (2001/2)
- ^ Sylloge Tacticorum, 38.4 https://dokumen.pub/a-tenth-century-byzantine-military-manual-the-quotsylloge-tacticorumquot-1472470281-9781472470287-9781315565316.html
- ^ Praecepta Militaria I, 14-20, in Eric McGeer, Sowing the Dragon's Teeth: Byzantine Warfare in the Tenth Century, Dumbarton Oaks Studies 33 (Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, 1996) ISBN: 9780884023319
- ^ Negin, Andrey Evgenevich; D’Amato, Raffaele (2020). Roman Heavy Cavalry (2): AD 500–1450. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-3951-0.
- ^ D’Amato, Raffaele (2012). Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925–1025: The Tághmata and Imperial Guard. Oxford, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-84908-851-0.
- ^ Theotokis, Georgios; Meško, Marek (2020). War in Eleventh-Century Byzantium. Oxon: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-57477-1.
External links
[edit]- Heath Ian, McBride Angus (1979) Byzantine armies, 886-1118. Osprey Publishing Picture of a Byzantine icon of St. Theodore wearing a klivanion, p. 12.
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