Tell me something about this photo

[Viggen]

...I found it on the Carnuntum Museum Facebook page, its not your average military outfit, anyone know more about it?

 

 

 

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

It's one of the outfit used by a German reconstitution group I think, or at least very similar to the one borne by those I saw in Belgium a few years ago. 

The shield design is inspired by the Notitia Dignitarum if I remember well, while the helmet has a very ornate helmet from the hadrianic period if I'm not mistaken, the overal goal being to give an idea of the cavalry who demonstrated its talent in front of that emperor during his tour in the 120's 

[Onasander]

I discussed this with a friend. At first I was thinking at very first glance as Byzantine or Persian, but upon further analysis nothing added up.

 

That helmet isn't a combat helmet, 100% certain of this. It's worthless on a horse, see the KKK Calvary charge scene from Django for the reason why.... this guy would of been lost in battle swatting at his own men, or fighting against the branches of a tree most heroically.

 

It's a centurian helmet. Horse is porly armored, as is he. His sword is outdated, so is late republic, early empire.... for close quarter combat. His shield isn't very well thought out either. His lance (?) is all around questionable. This guy wasn't shock calvary, but depended greatly on maneuver and cross parrying. There is a guy in Brasil who teaches old portugese calvary techniques that requires aggressive horse to rider techniques, alot of fancy hoofwork..... expected to hold his own against a crowd of pissed off opponents rather than charge right through them.

 

If this guy was expected to hold off in battle, he would of needed that capacity.... taking his lance/staff and wacking everyone like jackie chan. His lack of armor, infantry shield and sword suggests however he didn't expect much mounted combat, and if it came, it was dismounted. I seriously hope his batman was carring his armor for him.

 

I would be of mixed feelings trying to ambush this guy. Unlike a highly skilled medieval knight who I wouldn't hesitate to trip his horse up with a rope and stab him ruthlessly in the eye slit, this guy was clearly of the economic class to know what he was doing and could pull off that fancy footwork and badh me and my compatriots upside the head in any attempt. However, the fool likely couldn't see it coming and is so poorly armored, that he might just be a high ranking idiot who doesn't know where he is, much less see you coming. He might be Rambo, might be Dumbo.... hard to tell.

 

Lack of meaningful horse armor, no evidence of cross bows, etc rules outa serious calvary unit from byzantine era. No christian insignia. I'm not even positive that's a lance or staff.