[Maciej K.]

I need some help, please...
Can not find examples of Greek iron swords about 6-3th cent. B.C.
what type it should be? do you know some examples from museums?
maybe some usefull typology exists?
thank you.

[Matthew Amt]

Khaire!

Well, my own humble Hoplite site might help,

http://www.larp.com/hoplite/greekweapons.html#sword

http://www.larp.com/hoplite/

There are a couple older discussions on this board,

http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=19541 Ah, rats, all the photos are gone!

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=2729

One from the Sword Forum:

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?s...adid=25289

Those threads are all kind of old, and I've learned a LOT about Greek weapons in the past year or so. On the Taxis Plataion board we debate some details:

http://www.hippeis.com/forum/index.php?topic=1159.0

http://www.hippeis.com/forum/index.php?topic=1191.0

None of those show a lot of original pieces, unfortunately. But you can see some in the ebooks listed on my Greek Weapons page--you have to go to the ebook and input the page number in the box at the bottom, there doesn't seem to be a way to link to a particular page.

As for typologies, I haven't really seen any besides basic names like kopis for the single-edged sword, and Naue II for the iron version of the Bronze Age sword of that style. (There are at least 2 full typologies for bronze swords, mind you!) So we're kinda stuck with "xiphos" for the regular hoplite sword, regardless of age or size, "Naue II" for the arched-guard style that precedes that, and "kopis" for single-edged swords. I avoid "falcata" since that is used for weapons from areas west of Greece, and they don't seem to be the same as the Greek kopis (though no doubt related).

Unfortunately, if you want books on the subject, all the popular ones in English are misleading or downright wrong. (One of the Ospreys actually claims a rod tang was used, sheesh...) My best sources were two German archeological catalogs:

Baitinger, Holger. Die Angriffswaffen aus Olympia. (Olympische Forschungen, Band XXIX). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2001. ISBN 3-11-016999-1.

Kilian-Dirlmeier, Imma. Die Schwerter in Griechenland (ausserhalb der Peloponnes), Bulgarien und Albanien. 1993. ISBN 978-3515060202.

The descriptions are positively laconic, and the line drawings *might* not be entirely accurate, but both were eye-openers.

Does that get you started? Please ask questions, I'm never sure what obvious things I might have missed on my websites! And Greek stuff is my favorite topic these days.

Hey, wanna be a hoplite? I've got kit for several guys, and no one to play with...

Enjoy!

Matthew

[Maciej K.]

thank you!
very helpfull