Roman Heavy Cavalry (2)

In the twilight of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th¿6th centuries, the elite of the field armies was the heavy armoured cavalry ¿ the cataphracts, clad in lamellar, scale, mail and padded fabric armour. After the fall of the West, the Greek-speaking Eastern or Byzantine Empire survived for nearly a thousand years, and cavalry remained predominant in its armies, with the heaviest armoured regiments continuing to provide the ultimate shock-force in battle.Accounts from Muslim chroniclers show that the ironclad cataphract on his armoured horse was an awe-¿inspiring enemy: ¿...they advanced against you, iron¿-covered ¿ one would have said that they advanced on horses which seemed to have no legs¿. This new study, replete with stunning full-colour illustrations of the various units, offers an engaging insight into the fearsome heavy cavalry units that battled against the enemies of Rome¿s Eastern Empire.