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Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - Vindex - 07-04-2014
Josephus gives a description of the cavalry carrying their shields on the saddle.
I have two references in Book 3 from secondary sources (first given is III, 5, 5 and III, 38) neither of which contain the passage I am looking for.
Can anyone help me identify it, please?
Thank you.
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - Decebalus - 07-04-2014
III, 5, 5
The cavalry carry a large sword on their right side,
a long pike in the hand, a buckler resting obliquely
on the horse's flank, and in a quiver slung beside
them three or more darts with broad points and as
long as spears
III, 38 must be a mistake, there is neither a chapter 38 nor a verse 38.
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - Vindex - 07-04-2014
That's very kind of you, thank you.
I looked up III 5, 5 on line and it was no where near this. Perhaps I had got lost in footnotes or something. My loeb copy is only Books I and II.
III, 38 was given in the Osprey book I think.
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - 66kbm - 07-04-2014
Where as the comments from Decabulus are correct, I think that the reference to slung shields is far to brief.....not what I expected. The Buckler, a mediaeval term for a small shield, and 3 or more darts with broad points sounds like late Roman Infantry.....Plumbata. Maybe time and language has twisted it all. I think we have a medieval translation here. Its bloody difficult to sus whats what. That's a pity.
How were Scutum slung fom a Saddle?
Kevin
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - Nathan Ross - 07-04-2014
Quote: The Buckler, a mediaeval term for a small shield, and 3 or more darts with broad points sounds like late Roman Infantry.....
It's just bad old translations again. 'Pike' is (I would guess) an ordinary cavalry spear, 'buckler' is a shield and 'dart' a javelin. Josephus was writing in Greek, so the original words would not be the familiar Latin, but the weapons are nothing out of the ordinary, I think.
I had a look for the other shield passage, but I've only got the Penguin translation and the numbering is completely different, it seems. I'll have another look later though.
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - Vindex - 07-05-2014
This is why I want the Loeb!
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - PhilusEstilius - 07-05-2014
Moi.
Here is an interesting thing where this Spatha chape in my collection had Acanthus leaves on both sides but the left has completely worn away very likely from a shield carried on a saddle horn rubbing at it over a long period of time.
Then eventually it even wore away the rivet that caused it to fall from its scabbard.
[attachment=10275]chape5.jpg[/attachment]
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS - 07-05-2014
Quote:Where as the comments from Decabulus are correct, I think that the reference to slung shields is far to brief.....not what I expected. The Buckler, a mediaeval term for a small shield, and 3 or more darts with broad points sounds like late Roman Infantry.....Plumbata. Maybe time and language has twisted it all. I think we have a medieval translation here. Its bloody difficult to sus whats what. That's a pity.
How were Scutum slung fom a Saddle?
Kevin
This way, hanging from straps to the rear horns.
[attachment=10276]1010886_806335886056751_7750939043425569929_n.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=10277]10154975_806336429390030_1496758416287368427_n.jpg[/attachment]
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - Decebalus - 07-06-2014
Moi, if you need a copy of book III, the whole Loeb collection is made public domain and downloadable here:
Loebulus
Jewish war is L203 and L210
Brian, that's interesting but in the Illerup find most of the sword chapes show also some traces on the right side which has let to the assumption that the swords have been worn on the right of the body. Far most of the Illerup warriors have been foot soldiers.
I'm very sceptical about this theory and would like to know if the spatha bearing reenactors among us could confirm that the chape could show traces which shows after some time on which side of the body it was worn or if even a shield interior could do this when riding with shield on the horse's side.
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - PhilusEstilius - 07-06-2014
Andreas.
It could well be that this sword was worn on the right side with the shield carried on the rear horn right side, therefore wear may well have been caused from the inside forward edge of the shield rubbing over time very similar to that shown by Cesar.
Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry - Vindex - 07-06-2014
Well, given a fair wind and a wet sail I should be able to test the theory...