---On Strategy recommends a shield with an 8cm spike on the boss.
That suggests that he bow and long spear equipped infantry were also
expected to punch with the shield. Mind you that 'manual' also
recommends spiked helmets that can be doffed and used as a weapon of
last resort. Its definitely from the Black Knight school of weapon
system development. Fortunately he does not expect the archer
spearmen to throw javelins as well!!!
Roy



In ancmed@yahoogroups.com, Christopher Lillington-Martin
<chrislm@...> wrote:
>
>
> Jim, I can appreciate that shield bosses offered protection for
hands but weren't at least some infantry also trained to punch with
them to their front whilst stabbing (possibly to front or right)?
> For what Procopius describes, I'm thinking in terms of bossed
shields for specialists in close combat (infantry and perhaps some
cavalry) and perhaps boss(ed/less) shields for horse-archers (if they
had them at all). No-one knows for sure. The Khusro type shield might
represent the type which might have been carried by horse-archers
which could have been slung onto their backs when shooting - or not,
who knows?!
>
> Chris
>
>
>
> To: ancmed@...: jim@...: Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:19:47 +0000Subject:
Re: [ancmed] Re: Armoured horse archers
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Lillington-Martin"
<chrislm@...>To: <ancmed@yahoogroups.com>Sent: Sunday, January 11,
2009 5:43 PMSubject: RE: [ancmed] Re: Armoured horse archers>>> Roy
Boss wrote:9 Jan 2009 - The shield described in the Strategikon would
> be better represented IMHO by something like that of the Khusro
relief and > that is smaller than three feet diameter. 11 Jan 2009 -
But as a > derivation of bukellarii the idea that they eat the ir
lord's rations > rather than state funding is just so much more
satisfactory. After all > pretty well everyone has a shield boss, its
not a mark of distintion. > Chris writes: if the "Khusro relief"
referred to is (similar to that at) >
http://www.livius.org/a/iran/taqebostan/cave1-1.JPG , it is quite >
interesting to note there is no (easily visible) shield boss! The
image > does have horse-armour and the rider is using a lance over
arm. But the > artist / sculptor may have got the shield "wrong" =
bossless! Or...?> I don't know (who could?), but imagine that shield
bosses are more useful > to those using shields to "punch" their
enemies ... so were they more > likely for infantry and perhaps some
(exclusively?) impact cavalry? Maybe > the Khusro type shield really
represents the type which might have been > carried by horse-
archers??? Slung onto their backs when shooting????>the advantage of
a shield boss is better protection for your hand, whether against
blows or arrowsJim
>
>
>
>
>
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