DOI Artikel:
Grotowski, Piotr Ł.: Military Attire of Warrior Saints - a case of Spekion
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20622#0013
in iconography a view of the traditionally equipped
saint was still present, at the same time real elements
of body protection became strongly dependent on
the western war techniąues8. We should take into
consideration the style of representation as crucial
for its validity for further historical research.
The next step to be taken is to confront the image
with written sources. Sometimes, it is very difficult
and we face likely misinterpretation. Therefore it is
necessary to take special care and to direct attention
to all premises — resulting also from the linguistic
origin of the terms9. Of course, there is a possible
connection between the separate elements of armour
or weapons worn by military saints and a description
found in written sources, but it does not indicate
any possibility of identify their appearance with any
specific kind of military field formation, e. g. heavy
armored cavalry (kataphraktoi) or light infantry (psi-
loi). However, such confrontation usually allows us to
exclude participation of artisfis imagination in the pic-
ture, as in the case of representations of Saints George
and Mercurios on the pillars of the Cappadocian Cave
church Direkli Kilise in Ihlara (976—1025)10, where
particular elements of attire were misrepresented and
freely put together (fig. 1).
8 M. MapKOBHh, O u ko h ozpacp uju ceemux pammiKa y uc-
mo'uio-xpiiuil]tuicKoj yMemHoemu u o npedcmaea\ia oeux cwemu-
mejba y ffenami.Ma [in:] 3uóho cnuKapcmeo Mcmacmiipa ffenana,
Eeorpaa 1995, p. 567-626 (IlocehHa H3aaH>a CpncKe aKaaeMnje
HayKa u yMCThocth, No. 682, Oaejtetfce ncTopąjcKHx Hayica, No.
22). Rare exceptions of new eąuipment depicted on frescoes
of Serbia churches publishes T. A. III Kphba huh, Opyotcje y
cpedwoeeKoeoj Cpóiiju, Eocmt u /JyópoemiKy, Beorpaa 1957, p.
113—114, fig. 63, 70. One of reasons of such a situation could
be disappearance of independent military system after 1204,
see Ko li as, Byzantinische Waffen..., p. 27; and also P. Mag-
dalino, The Byzantine Army and the Land: Brom Stratiotikon
Ktema to Military Pronoia [in:] Byzantium at War (9th—12th c.),
Athens 1997, p. 32—36; I. Karayannopoulos, Ein Beitrag
zur Militarpronoia der Paleologenzeit [in:] Geschichte und Kultur
der Palaiologenzeit — Referate des Internationalen Simposions zu
Ehren von Herbert Hunger, Wien 1996, s. 71—89 — on develope-
ment of a new pronoia system.
9 As an example of telling names we can enumerate zava
— from Arab. jubbah, servula — sandals of peasants, kavadi-
on — from Persian divided, cutting, kremasmata — Greek skirt,
see T. G. Ko li as, Zoćf3a, ęa(3apslov, ZafapEicdTąy, Jahr-
buch der Osterreichischen Byzantinistik 29 (1980), p. 27—35;
T. D awson, Kremasmata, Kabadion, Klibanion: Some Aspects of
Middle Byzantine Military Eąuipment Reconsidered, Byzantine &
Modern Greek Studies 22 (1998), p. 38—50; TT. A. Ooup \ ki,
Hepi tou ETU/Jou toju Aepecou - OKapapcxyyiov - KafdSiou -
GKapduiKov. AcpiKoypapiKoSu apyAou rfę psoss der/ UEcćę,
'EAAevik£s 6 (1923), p. 444-473.
10 See N. & M. Thierry, Nouvelles eglises rupestres de Cap-
padoce. Region du Hasan Dagi, Paris 1963, p. 187, fig. 89c.
1. Saint Mercurios on the E wali of NW pillar (927—1025).
Cappadocia, Cave Church Direkli Kilise in Ihlara
(photo: author)
Finally, in reconstructing military garments we
should remember that the majority, even these used
at court ceremonies were of practical character and
their protective or offensive function on the battlefield
was of primary importance. An experimental method
applied to iconography researches by the Australian
scholar Tim Dawson has brought interesting results.
7
saint was still present, at the same time real elements
of body protection became strongly dependent on
the western war techniąues8. We should take into
consideration the style of representation as crucial
for its validity for further historical research.
The next step to be taken is to confront the image
with written sources. Sometimes, it is very difficult
and we face likely misinterpretation. Therefore it is
necessary to take special care and to direct attention
to all premises — resulting also from the linguistic
origin of the terms9. Of course, there is a possible
connection between the separate elements of armour
or weapons worn by military saints and a description
found in written sources, but it does not indicate
any possibility of identify their appearance with any
specific kind of military field formation, e. g. heavy
armored cavalry (kataphraktoi) or light infantry (psi-
loi). However, such confrontation usually allows us to
exclude participation of artisfis imagination in the pic-
ture, as in the case of representations of Saints George
and Mercurios on the pillars of the Cappadocian Cave
church Direkli Kilise in Ihlara (976—1025)10, where
particular elements of attire were misrepresented and
freely put together (fig. 1).
8 M. MapKOBHh, O u ko h ozpacp uju ceemux pammiKa y uc-
mo'uio-xpiiuil]tuicKoj yMemHoemu u o npedcmaea\ia oeux cwemu-
mejba y ffenami.Ma [in:] 3uóho cnuKapcmeo Mcmacmiipa ffenana,
Eeorpaa 1995, p. 567-626 (IlocehHa H3aaH>a CpncKe aKaaeMnje
HayKa u yMCThocth, No. 682, Oaejtetfce ncTopąjcKHx Hayica, No.
22). Rare exceptions of new eąuipment depicted on frescoes
of Serbia churches publishes T. A. III Kphba huh, Opyotcje y
cpedwoeeKoeoj Cpóiiju, Eocmt u /JyópoemiKy, Beorpaa 1957, p.
113—114, fig. 63, 70. One of reasons of such a situation could
be disappearance of independent military system after 1204,
see Ko li as, Byzantinische Waffen..., p. 27; and also P. Mag-
dalino, The Byzantine Army and the Land: Brom Stratiotikon
Ktema to Military Pronoia [in:] Byzantium at War (9th—12th c.),
Athens 1997, p. 32—36; I. Karayannopoulos, Ein Beitrag
zur Militarpronoia der Paleologenzeit [in:] Geschichte und Kultur
der Palaiologenzeit — Referate des Internationalen Simposions zu
Ehren von Herbert Hunger, Wien 1996, s. 71—89 — on develope-
ment of a new pronoia system.
9 As an example of telling names we can enumerate zava
— from Arab. jubbah, servula — sandals of peasants, kavadi-
on — from Persian divided, cutting, kremasmata — Greek skirt,
see T. G. Ko li as, Zoćf3a, ęa(3apslov, ZafapEicdTąy, Jahr-
buch der Osterreichischen Byzantinistik 29 (1980), p. 27—35;
T. D awson, Kremasmata, Kabadion, Klibanion: Some Aspects of
Middle Byzantine Military Eąuipment Reconsidered, Byzantine &
Modern Greek Studies 22 (1998), p. 38—50; TT. A. Ooup \ ki,
Hepi tou ETU/Jou toju Aepecou - OKapapcxyyiov - KafdSiou -
GKapduiKov. AcpiKoypapiKoSu apyAou rfę psoss der/ UEcćę,
'EAAevik£s 6 (1923), p. 444-473.
10 See N. & M. Thierry, Nouvelles eglises rupestres de Cap-
padoce. Region du Hasan Dagi, Paris 1963, p. 187, fig. 89c.
1. Saint Mercurios on the E wali of NW pillar (927—1025).
Cappadocia, Cave Church Direkli Kilise in Ihlara
(photo: author)
Finally, in reconstructing military garments we
should remember that the majority, even these used
at court ceremonies were of practical character and
their protective or offensive function on the battlefield
was of primary importance. An experimental method
applied to iconography researches by the Australian
scholar Tim Dawson has brought interesting results.
7