ILLYRIAN CAVALRYMAN

Never numerous, Illyrian cavalry were unarmoured javelin skirmishers. The Vace clasp shows them without shields. The later Romans called shielded javelin cavalry “Illyrian”, which implies they adopted shields at some time - perhaps in the 3rd century BC when their Greek and Macedonian neighbours also took them up. This figure’s helmet is a bronze Macedonian type, found in Lake Ochrida on the Illyrian-Macedonian frontier, inscribed with the name of a 3rd-century Illyrian king, Monunios. It has a flat metal crest, with a hole in it, riveted on.