Circa 400 BC A finely made, anatomically sculpted greave covering the knee, shin and calf; slightly everted rim at the ankle and thickened edge at the calf; beaten from sheet bronze. Greaves primarily were used as protective equipment from as early as in the time of Homer with archaeological finds from earlier and contemporary Achaean warrior graves (D Amato-Salimbeti, 2011, pp.36-38). They continued to be used in Greece during the Geometric and Archaic periods, attested at least from the 7th century BC, where they became an important part of hoplite armour. See: Connolly, P., Greece and Rome at war, London, 1981. Size: L:390mm / W:183mm; 540g (with stand) Provenance: Private UK collection; formerly with Axel Guttman, Germany.