Greave

Furthermore, a successful attack on the shin results in that leg being rendered useless, greatly hampering one's ability to maneuver in any way.

The felt padding was particularly important because, without it, any blow would transfer directly from the metal plating to the shin.

The reference to greaves (Ancient Greek: κνημίδες)[citation needed] exists in various texts of classical antiquity, including The Shield of Heracles, The Iliad and The Odyssey, The Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus, and The Aeneid.

In the Illiad, the Greek forces are commonly referred to as "well-greaved Acheans" (euknēmidas Achaioi, ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί).

These greaves are thought to have been mass-produced by the Romans using presses on sheets of metal and then attaching lining, usually leather or cloth.

[6] Closed greaves are made of two plates joined on the outside by hinges and fastening with buckles and straps on the inside.