Istvánovits Eszter: International Connections... (Jósa András Múzeum Kiadványai 47. Aszód-Nyíregyháza, 2001)
Eszter Istvánovits - Valéria Kulcsár: Sarmatians through the eyes of strangers. The Sarmatian warrior
evidence for numerus equitum Bremetennacum in Ribchester (RICHMOND 1945) and several gravestones of Roman cavalrymen of Sarmatian origin found in Britain confirm Dio's information archaeologically. A stone at Chester (fig. 14: 1) dated to the end of the 2 nd - beginning of the 3 rd c. (perhaps the first generation coming directly from the Carpathian Basin!) depicts a cavalryman holding a dragon standard, wearing a conical helmet (Spangenhelm?) and perhaps scale armour (the surface tooling is quite worn, but what remains suggests that both were shown clad in scale armour) (WRIGHTRICHMOND 1955, 51, cat. 137, pl. XXXIV; COULSTON 1991, 102 - the latter doubts the Sarmatian identification of the figure depicted on the stone). Unfortunately, we have only a few examples of depictions of Sarmatians from the Late Empire (the Arch of Galerius is a rare example), but the archaeological material is much richer in weapons than previously. The armoured figures of Roman soldiers on the Arch of Constantine depicting the battle between the forces of Constantine and Maxentius (fig. 12: 6) call to mind the Sarmatians of the Arch of Galerius. The depiction of heavily armoured Sarmatian warriors did not change much in the Late Empire. A good example occurs on the triumphal Arch of Galerius in Thessaloniki representing Sarmatian bodyguards of the Emperor (fig. 7: 5). They wear the same egg-shaped helmet seen on Bosporan frescos and worn by the Roxolani of Trajan's Column, and the scale armour shirt reaching almost to their knees (ROSTOVTSEV 1913/14, tab. LXXXVI: 1-2) shows a great similarity to the figure of Triphon. They also have shields and relatively short spears of Roman type. That scale armour was still in use in the 4 th c. is attested by Ammianus Marcellinus: "Thesepeople, betterfittedfor brigandage than for warfare, have very long spears and cuirasses madefrom smooth and polished pieces of horn, fastened like scales to linen shirts." (Ammian. XVII. 12. 1-4.). Spears represent the most numerous kind of Sarmatian weapons in the Carpathian Basin. They became most widespread, however, only in the Late Empire, especially just before and during the Hunnic invasion. Their diversity in form and size makes it very difficult to classify them, but it seems to us that the most frequent kind was the contus (ISTVÁNOVITS-KULCSÁR 1995, 19-20). As for the shields of the Sarmatian guards of Emperor Galerius, we have to remember that shields with iron umbos appeared in the Sarmatian environment around the time of Marcomannic Wars mainly in North and Northeast Hungary, on territories bordering the Przeworsk circle. Much later, in the second half of the 4 th c, conical umbos characteristic of the whole epoch and of certain ethnic groups spread within the Great Hungarian Plain as well (ISTVÁNOVITS-KULCSÁR 1992). Ammianus attests (XVII. 12. 10) to the use of shields among Sarmatians in the year 358. In connection with a visit of Zizais, a Sarmatian prince, to the Emperor, he writes: "...when he [Zizais] was told to get up from the ground and gave the long awaited signal for their petition, all threw down their shields and spears, stretched out their hands with prayers..." Returning to the depictions on the Arch of Galerius, they indicate the continued use of scale armour (lorica squamata) in the Late Empire, although this is not reflected in archaeological finds.
