>The Sarmatians came to Britain under Marcus Aurelius. While 'cataphract'
>simply means "armored [horseman}"; I think the true Bysantine cataphract was
>borrowed, a centruy later, from the Sassanians, under Aurelian or
>Diocletian. They were East Roman, hence the Greek name.
May I suggest we don't delve into the arguments about what were "true cataphracts" and what were clibanari. I remember endless debates from about 30 years ago which never reached a conclusion. Of great interest to Roman scholars but deadly dull to everyone else.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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