235 ROMAN HEAVY CAVALRY (2): AD500-1450

1-997235

In the twilight of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th-6th centuries, the elite of the field armies was the cataphracts, heavy armoured cavalry 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. This new study, replete with full-colour illustrations of the various units, offers insight into heavy cavalry units that battled against the enemies of Rome's Eastern Empire.