Article · 1991

Single greaves in the Late Helladic period

D. Fortenberry

American Journal of Archaeology 95(4) 623-627

An article on bronze greaves from Late Helladic Dendra and Enkomi and on painted leggings, asking whether greaves were worn singly and what a single greave signified.

Fortenberry questions the assumption that the surviving bronze greaves were once worn in pairs. She surveys the greave and forearm guard from Dendra tomb 12, greaves from Enkomi, and painted leggings at Mycenae, Orchomenos, Tiryns and Pylos, and compares them with paired greaves from Kallithea and Athens and with one-sided armour in later contexts. Torre Galli is named for later single-greave burial parallels.

She proposes that a single greave could reinforce the more exposed side of the body and could also mark rank or status. The thin bronze, in her reading, was reinforcement or decoration on a leather or cloth legging, not the main protection. Metal limb protection appears to her limited to one side from Dendra tomb 12 through the earlier Enkomi finds, while paired greaves occur in later LH IIIC contexts, and a single greave, especially on the right leg, could indicate wealth, position or fighting prowess.

What it records

Dendra chamber tomb 12 held a bronze greave together with a great bronze cuirass, a boars'-tusk helmet and swords with gold-headed rivets.p. 623
The greave from chamber tomb 12 at Dendra, which Fortenberry dates to around 1400 BCE, is the earliest known bronze greave in Greece.p. 623
The greave from Enkomi Swedish tomb 18 dates to LH IIIB:2 and preserves its lower part.p. 625
Two unmatched greaves from Enkomi British Museum tomb 15 are dated by Catling to the beginning of LH IIIC.p. 625
Four Pylos fresco fragments show a curved line on the right leg, which Fortenberry identifies.p. 625
Fortenberry argues that the surviving Late Bronze Age greaves give no evidence for original pairs.p. 626

Where to read

Dendra tomb 12 greave and forearm guardp. 623
Pylos fresco depictions and Enkomi greavespp. 624–626
Single greaves, paired examples and status interpretationpp. 626–627

Objects published here

Greave from Dendra tomb 12, Dendra tomb 12, fig. 1 (p. 624)
Fragmentary greave from Swedish tomb 18, Enkomi Swedish tomb 18, fig. 4 (p. 625)

People, places and institutions

People

N. Verdelisexcavator of Dendra tomb 12
H.W. Catlingstudied the Enkomi greaves

Places

Dendrasource of a greave and forearm guard
Mycenaesource of painted greave depictions
Orchomenossource of painted greave depictions
Tirynssource of painted greave depictions
Pylossource of fresco greave depictions
Enkomisource of Late Bronze Age greaves

Also named: Kallithea, Athens, Torre Galli, P. Cassola Guida.

Extent pp. 623–627, 4 figs

Late Bronze Age Warfare Metalwork

Cited on Ancient Cyprus

1 page

Weapons of Bronze Age CyprusCompendium