RomanArmyTalk

In his book "Riding for Caesar" (London 1994)p. 33 Michael P. Speidel wrote about this weapon:
"The lancea of the speculatores has become known from a gravestone relief: its long shaft ended in a knob, and its short, broad, heart-shaped blade has a cross bar. Both ends therefore, were designed for crowd control."

The references he gave are: Année Epigraphique 1955, 24; A. Giuliano, Museo Nazionale Romano, Le Sculture I, 7 (Rome 1984) 198; M. Clauss, Untersuchungen zu den Principales des römischen Heeres von Augustus bis Diocletian (Diss. Bochum 1973)79; Année Epigraphique 1989, 134

As I wasn't able to consult one of these works, does someone knows which gravestone is meant?

The crossbar sounds conspicious that rather a signum might be depicted...

Thanks in advance!

This is the gravestone, although I am not sure that you can make much of the detail of the lance:
http://www.edr-edr.it/edr_programmi/view..._nr=079208

Quote:As I wasn't able to consult one of these works, does someone knows which gravestone is meant? The crossbar sounds conspicious that rather a signum might be depicted...

Ross Cowan has an article about this in Ancient Warfare magazine, Vol. 5, No. 2. (The weapon on the tombstone is definitely not a signum.)

Thanks a lot Renatus and Duncan!

Now I can see that it is not a signum but indeed a very "special" weapon.

I totally forgot about the AW article - perhaps because the printed photo is not of much help.

Greets