[Blake Davidson]

Hello, everyone! This is my first post on myArmoury after creeping for several years and absorbing all the valuable information contained on the site.

So, before I get to the meat of the topic, allow me to provide a little background. I've always had an interest in the migration period and the "Viking Age," particularly concerning the various Germanic peoples of those eras. As such, I have an interest in their weapons and armor. Naturally, I wanted to learn about the development of those weapons and armor, which ultimately led me to the Romans and their own military equipment. I quickly became fascinated by Roman arms and armor as well and began digging for information.

A few years ago, I was doing a google image search for different kinds of Roman spathae and came across an image on a message board (to my frustration, I can't remember which one) with a picture of a spathe in a museum. It was displayed next to its scabbard. The hilt and scabbard were both decorated in a peculiar manner. There was a purple stone of some sort in the hilt and similar stones in the scabbard. I only recently remembered this particular sword and now that I want to find the image again I can't (go figure, right?). If I could, I would definitely be directing your attention to it.

Now, I know that Celtic and Germanic cultures were fond of decorating their swords with all kinds of bling. It could show their wealth, power, or prowess on the battlefield. But Roman swords usually seem to be more restrained in their decoration. I know that's a very broad, generalized statement, but it does seem that Roman weapons usually reflect their military in that the objective is less about personal glory and more about service to Rome. Roman weapons are often beautiful, but usually less blinged out in terms of jewels, gold, silver, etc. There are obviously exceptions. And it's those exceptions I wanted to ask about here.

If I remember correctly, the spatha I mentioned above was almost certainly used by a Roman and not an auxilia or a warrior who had bought or looted it from a Roman. My memory is fuzzy on the details, but I seem to recall the discussion on that message board indicating it was. So, does anyone here know of other examples of lavishly decorated spathae used by the Romans? More importantly, what would be the context of such spathae? Did they serve a purpose similar to the richly decorated swords used by Germanic elites? Were they badges of honor? If anybody has any information to share or would like to point anything out please feel free. I'm curious to see what I can find out.


P.S. If anyone else knows the specific sword I mentioned please let me know. End my frustration!

[J. Nicolaysen]

Well Blake I'm sorry no one has been able to help you yet, sounds like you found a very interesting sword.

All I can think of is if it's a spatha it might date as late as 500s AD. So that would open up some Hunnic or other eastern influences, including byzantine. And the early Franks had some bling on their swords for sure. In this case it is a bit like "one man's spatha is another man's early migration sword" and it depends on who is doing the classifying more than any real date.

But if it really was "roman" whether imperial or republic it sounds like a very unusual sword. Spathae I did not think were common in the republic time...

Hopefully you'll strike again and find the pic, and if you do please share it here.

[Mark Moore]

Just out of curiosity, I did a fairly extensive search for a sword matching the criteria you laid out. I saw a whoooole lot of interesting things, but nothing really matching. Sorry, bud....I tried. ....McM

[Blake Davidson]

Thanks, guys. I understand it's difficult to talk about a specific sword without an image to go off of.

J., I thought there might have been some Byzantine, Sarmatian, or Hunnic influence because of how odd the sword looked in a western European context. I've seen many richly decorated swords from those cultures and from the migration period, so I'm certain you're on the right track.

Mark, that's exactly what I did before I made this topic. It really is a source of frustration for me. Perhaps it'll pop up again somewhere eventually. If it's in a museum I would think it would.

Anyway, thank you again for chiming in, gentlemen.

[Niels Just Rasmussen]

An obvious difference could be between normal soldiers and centurions/tribunes. Not so much whether Romans as such liked bling or not.
Especially in the Republican period for the young military tribunes (patrician class) it was all about acquiring glory, so you could use it as a launchpad for a political career. They needed to be talked about and that means being seen (and avoid fighting personally).

Normal soldiers could not afford expensive equipment (like scabbard decorations). They used what they got.
Whereas centurions to some degree and especially military tribunes could and likely would. They just have to stay within a certain aesthetic already there.
Like you later have differences between normal sabers and officer sabers, when it comes to decoration.

This site certainly shows roman swords with artistic "bling" (mostly gladii though).
See: http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryEquipment-Attack.html

In the Roman iron age Germanic elite warriors very much had a roman aesthetic (Danish bog finds), before they developed their own style in the Germanic iron age.

The Hedegaard pugio-scabbard from Denmark (1st century AD).

Source: http://www.horsensmuseum.dk
That is "officer" bling!
Probably a warrior either serving in the Roman army, got it as an alliance gift from the romans, or a warrior that took it as spoils from a high status roman. The third option is the least likely as the bog finds shows you killed the opponents weapons.

[Blake Davidson]

Thanks for the information, Niels. It is much appreciated. That certainly adds some context to decorated Roman weaponry in general. Would you happen to know if there is any precedent for soldiers or officers in the later Roman empire (let's say 4th and 5th centuries) fighting for personal glory?

[Timo Nieminen]

[Matthew Amt]

Actually, archeological and pictoral sources both agree that almost all scabbards and belts were decorated in some way. I've only seen one or two undecorated pugio scabbards, for example, while there are dozens with brass, silver, and/or enamel inlay. Sword scabbards have embossing or openwork motifs, and very few seem to have been very plain. There are certainly plenty of plain brass belt plates that survive, or plain tinned brass, but the idea of a plain leather military belt just doesn't seem to have occurred to the Romans!

Officers certainly had their bling, too, of course, but it followed older Hellenistic-influenced traditions.

*Stones* in a hilt and scabbard seem very non-Roman to me! Can't think of anything like that, unless it's something like cloisonne with garnets? Very big in the Migration Era.

Matthew

[Niels Just Rasmussen]

[Lafayette C Curtis]