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Falx
The was a weapon with a curved blade that was sharp on the inside edge used by the Thracians and Dacians. The name was later applied to a siege hook used by the Romans. Etymology is a Latin word originally meaning 'sickle' but was later used to mean any of a number of tools that had a curved blade that was sharp on the inside edge like a sickle. was thus also used to mean the weapon of the Thracians and Dacians, and the Roman siege hook. Dacian ''falx'' In Latin texts, the weapon was described as an ' (whence ) by Ovid in and as a ' by Satires of Juvenal, Juvenal in . The Dacian came in two sizes: one-handed and two-handed. The shorter variant was called (sickle) in the Dacian language (Valerius Maximus, III, 2.12) with a blade length that varied but was usually around long with a handle one-third longer than the blade. The two-handed was a polearm. It consisted of a wooden shaft with a long curved iron blade of nearly-equal length attached to the end. Archaeologic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhomphaia
The rhomphaia () was a close-combat bladed weapon used by the Thracians as early as 350-400 BC. Rhomphaias were weapons with a straight or slightly curved single-edged blade. Although the rhomphaia was similar to the falx, most archaeological evidence suggests that rhomphaias were forged with straight or slightly curved blades, presumably to enable their use as both a thrusting and slashing weapon. The blade was constructed of iron and used a triangular cross section to accommodate the single cutting edge with a tang of rectangular cross section. Length varied, but a typical rhomphaia would have a blade of approximately and a tang of approximately . From the length of the tang, it can be presumed that, when attached to the hilt, this portion of the weapon would be of similar length to the blade. Usage Used almost exclusively by the Thracians, examples have been found dating from 300-400 BC. As a weapon, the rhomphaia was feared (like the falx) because of the cutting power afforde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dacians
The Dacians (; ; ) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often considered a subgroup of the Thracians. This area includes mainly the present-day countries of Romania and Moldova, as well as parts of Ukraine, Moravian Banovina, Eastern Serbia, Northern Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary and Southern Poland. The Dacians and the related Getae spoke the Dacian language, which has a debated relationship with the neighbouring Thracian language and may be a subgroup of it. Dacians were somewhat culturally influenced by the neighbouring Scythians and by the Celtic invasion of the Balkans, Celtic invaders of the 4th century BC. Name and etymology Name The Dacians were known as ''Geta'' (plural ''Getae'') in Ancient Greek writings, and as ''Dacus'' (plural ''Daci'') or ''Getae'' in Roman Empire, Roman documents, but also as ''Dagae'' and ''Gaete'' as depicted on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manica (armguard)
A ''manica'' (; ; ) was a type of iron or copper-alloy laminated arm guard with curved, overlapping metal segments or plates fastened to leather straps worn by ancient and Late antiquity, late antique heavy cavalry, infantry, and Gladiator, gladiators. It is most widely associated with use by the Roman Empire, Romans, Parthia, Parthians, and Achaemenid Empire, Achaemenid and Sasanian Empire, Sasanian Persians. Terminology The term ''manica'' is only used once to refer to arm armor, where Juvenal mentions the armor of a Gladiator as "...''balteus et manicae et cristae crurisque sinistri dimidium tegimen''!" ("...strap and arm-guards and crests and half-covering of the left leg.") In Greek, Xenophon gives the terms ''χειρῖδας'' (''kheiridas'') and ''χεῖρα (kheira'') in the Cyropaedia and his "On Cavalry," both of which describe the armor as covering from the shoulder to the hand as a complete sleeve. History According to Xenophon, "''kheires''" (''χεῖρες ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Falcata
The falcata is a type of sword typical of pre-Roman Iberia. The falcata was used to great effect for warfare in the ancient Iberian Peninsula, and is firmly associated with the southern Iberian tribes, among other ancient peoples of Hispania. It was highly prized by the ancient general Hannibal, who equipped Carthaginian troops with it during the Second Punic War. Name It is unknown which name the people of pre-Roman Hispania gave to the weapon. ''Falcata'' is neither a native name nor one used in classical sources, but a 19th century term coined by historian Fernando Fulgosio to describe the shape of its blade. The term derivates from Latin ''falcatus'', meaning literally "falcon-shaped".Luis Silva, ''Viriathus and the Lusitanian Resistance to Rome 155-139 BC'', 2013 Classical vocabulary did have a sword named ''ensis falcatus'', but it was apparently meant to be either a falx or a harpe. In any case, the name caught on very quickly and is now firmly entrenched in the scholar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sica
The sica is a short sword or large dagger of ancient Illyrians, Thracians, and Dacians; it was also used in ancient Rome. It is a shorter form of the falx, and the root of the word is the same as the modern sickle. It was originally depicted as a curved sword (see the Zliten mosaic as well as numerous oil lamps) and many examples have been found in what are today Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania. It is also depicted on Trajan's Column; notably the Dacian king Decebalus is depicted committing suicide with one. Etymology Possibly from Proto-Albanian ''tsikā'' (whence Albanian ''thikë'', "knife"), from Proto-Indo-European ''ḱey''- ("to sharpen") possibly via Illyrian. According to the ''Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines'', the name ''Sica'' comes from Proto-Indo-European root ''sek-'', meaning "to cut", "to section", however De Vaan declares any connection to Proto-Indo-European ''sek''- to be formally impossible. Il ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lorica Hamata
The ''lorica hamata'' (in Latin with normal elision: ) is a type of mail armor used by soldiers for over 600 years (3rd century BC to 4th century AD) from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. ''Lorica hamata'' comes from the Latin ''hamatus'' (hooked) from ''hamus'' which means "hook", as the rings hook into one another. Usage Modern historians believe that mail armor was invented by the Celts. With the idea for this form of mail possibly coming to Rome during conflicts with the Celts in the 3rd century BC, lorica hamata was used by both legionary and ''auxilia'' troops. The first documented use occurred during the Roman conquest of Hispania The romans ruled and occupied territories in the Iberian Peninsula that were previously under the control of native Celtic, Iberian, Celtiberian and Aquitanian tribes and the Carthaginian Empire. The Carthaginian territories in the south a .... There were several versions of this type of armor, specialized for different military ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lorica Squamata
The ''lorica squamata'' () is a type of scale armour used by the ancient Roman military during the Roman Republic and at later periods. It was made from small metal scales sewn to a fabric backing. No examples of an entire ''lorica squamata'' have been found, but there have been several archaeological finds of fragments of such shirts and individual scales are quite common finds—even in non-military contexts. Use in the Roman army It is typically seen on depictions of '' signiferes'' (standard bearers), '' aeneatores'', centurions, cavalry troops, and auxiliary infantry, as well as regular legionaries. On occasion the emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ... would even be depicted wearing the ''lorica squamata''. During the Dacian Wars Trajan had to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pteruges
Pteruges (also spelled pteryges; ) are strip-like defences for the upper parts of limbs attached to armor of the Greco-Roman world. Appearance and variation Pteruges formed a defensive skirt of leather or multi-layered fabric (linen) strips or lappets worn hanging from the waists of Roman and Greek cuirasses of warriors and soldiers, defending the hips and thighs. Similar defenses, epaulette-like strips, were worn on the shoulders, protecting the upper arms. Both sets of strips are usually interpreted as belonging to a single garment worn under a cuirass, though in a linen cuirass ('' linothorax'') they may have been integral. The cuirass itself could be variously constructed: of plate-bronze ( muscle cuirass), ''linothorax'', scale, lamellar or mail. ''Pteruges'' could be arranged as a single row of longer strips or in two or more layers of shorter, overlapping lappets of graduated length. Possible later use During the Middle Ages, especially in the Byzantine Empire and in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greave
A greave (from the Old French ''greve'' "shin, shin armor") or jambeau is a piece of armor that protects the human leg, leg. Description The primary purpose of greaves is to protect the tibia from attack. The tibia, or shinbone, is very close to the skin, and is therefore extremely vulnerable to just about any kind of attack. Furthermore, a successful attack on the shin results in that leg being rendered useless, greatly hampering one's ability to maneuver in any way. Greaves were used to counteract this. They usually consisted of a metal exterior with an inner padding of felt. The felt padding was particularly important because, without it, any blow would transfer directly from the metal plating to the shin. History Bronze Age Bronze greaves were used in Bronze Age Europe by the Mycenaean Greece, Mycenaean Greeks and the Central European Urnfield culture, among others. Ancient Greece and Rome The reference to greaves (Ancient Greek: κνημίδες) exists in various texts of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trajan's Dacian Wars
Trajan's Dacian Wars (101–102, 105–106) were two military campaigns fought between the Roman Empire and Dacia during Roman Emperor, Emperor Trajan's rule. The conflicts were triggered by the constant Dacian threat on the Danube, Danubian Roman Province, province of Moesia and also by the increasing need for resources of the economy of the Empire. Background Throughout the 1st century, Roman policy dictated that threats from neighbouring nations and provinces were to be contained promptly. Dacia had been on the Roman agenda since before the days of Caesar when the Dacians defeated a Roman army at the Battle of Histria. Domitian's Dacian War had re-established peace with Dacia in 89 AD. However, the Dacian king Decebalus used the Roman annual subsidy of 8 million sestercesJones (1992), p150. and craftsmen in trades devoted to both peace and war, and war machines intended to defend the empire's borders to fortify his own defences instead. Despite some co-operation on the dip ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
