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Seth M. Borland
Location: Millbrook Alabama Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 15
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 Posted: Fri 09 May, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject: do any roman sword hilts survive? |
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i'd like to know if there are any grips from roman swords like the gladius and spatha. All the historical examples I've seen have no hilts of grips of any kind, and I'm wondering if we can even determine accurate shape and material details from the depictions in reliefs and carvings, i mean come on, how can a vague stone representation tell us that a gladius had a grip of ivory and a hilt of wood in the shape most repros have made them?
just wondering. thanks in advance for your help.
Seth
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Jim McDougall
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| Posted: Fri 09 May, 2008 8:35 pm Post subject: Re: do any roman sword hilts survive? |
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| Seth M. Borland wrote: | i'd like to know if there are any grips from roman swords like the gladius and spatha. All the historical examples I've seen have no hilts of grips of any kind, and I'm wondering if we can even determine accurate shape and material details from the depictions in reliefs and carvings, i mean come on, how can a vague stone representation tell us that a gladius had a grip of ivory and a hilt of wood in the shape most repros have made them?
just wondering. thanks in advance for your help.
Seth |
Good question. Relying on iconography for accurate representation can be risky but seems reliable as far as the blades, which of course there are excavated examples. That would suggest that the hilt shapes were likely relatively accurate as well. I think likely that contemporary narratives might be sources as far as materials used. In his "Book of the Sword", Burton refers to Ovid's legend of Theseus (p.257) and attention to such details are noted, "...his father Aegeus was known by the carving on his ivory capulus ".
The capulus was a typically metal pommel, but since this one was uniquely carved, it is mentioned by material in this narrative, and I'm sure other instances would be known by those who study in this field.
In Burton , on the same page it is noted that the common grips were wood, but richer ones bone, ivory, amber, alabaster, silver and gold. As well versed as he was in classical literature, as well as the languages, it seems his perspective would be reliable.
I'd be interested in knowing if any examples are known also, but in the meantime, hopefully those creating reproductions are using such sources for thier work.
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Derek Wassom
Location: Fribourg, Switzerland Joined: 25 Feb 2004
Posts: 96
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| Posted: Sat 10 May, 2008 3:56 am Post subject: |
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I'm not sure where this picture came from, but I believe it is an Ivory hilt.
 Attachment: 90.29 KB
Regards,
Derek Wassom
Luegisland Scholar
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Derek Wassom
Location: Fribourg, Switzerland Joined: 25 Feb 2004
Posts: 96
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| Posted: Sat 10 May, 2008 3:59 am Post subject: |
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...and if I had bothered to read the description I would know it was Ivory.  [/u]
Regards,
Derek Wassom
Luegisland Scholar
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B. Fulton
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| Posted: Sat 10 May, 2008 5:24 am Post subject: |
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The British Museum had surviving bits and pieces of Roman swords. I'm fairly sure I have one with the hilt intact or mostly so. I'll check my Flickr account and see, and post the pic if I do.
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B. Fulton
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Darrin Hughes
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| Posted: Sat 10 May, 2008 7:03 am Post subject: |
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Hello Seth.
Have a look at www.romancoins.info
In the military equipment section there's all sorts of good stuff, including museum shots of bone, ivory, and wooden grips/hilts.
Cheers,
Darrin.
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Matthew Amt
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| Posted: Sun 11 May, 2008 11:14 am Post subject: |
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Avete!
Yes, numerous gladius and spatha hilt parts survive. Grips tend to be bone, generally cow foot bone but also a few horse and I think one or two deer bones. A few wooden grips are also known. Pommels and guards seem to have been wood most often, though they are also known in bone. Of course, ivory was used for any of those parts, though that would be "top of the line" and much less common. Here's a page of black and white drawings from Bishop and Coulston's "Roman Military Equipment" which shows a good sample of hilt parts:
http://romanmilitaryequipment.co.uk/figures.htm
Artwork is still useful because it shows us how the parts went together. It also makes it clear that there was no leather or cord wrapping over the grip (which is quite comfortable and solid just as it is).
There are certainly lots of things we don't know about Roman stuff, but we're pretty lucky with sword parts!
Valete,
Matthew
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James Barker
Location: Ashburn VA Joined: 20 Apr 2005
Posts: 365
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Seth M. Borland
Location: Millbrook Alabama Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 15
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| Posted: Wed 14 May, 2008 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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WOW! Thanks for all the great posts guys. I really appreciate it!
Im so suprized at all the variety within the gladius hilt design; most of the designs I have just seen for the first time. I'd like to know more about this soon.
Once again, thanks everyone 
Seth
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This is a standard topic