Roman axe

[Scipio Severus]

I want to know what roman axes looked like and any instances of roman troops using them in combat.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

We do have evidence for Roman axes. It's commonly believed the Francisca evolved out of the Late Roman Securis: we can see this in the typology of Axeheads over the course of finds from the 4th-late 5th centuries, where by the end of the 5th century the "S-" shaped Francisca has developed.

I'm sure someone can provide more information on this than I can.

[Bryan]

During a few battles during the Principate Roman milites are said to have used their dolabra in combat. The dolabra was a common ax/pick tool, not intended for combat.

[Crispvs]

What period are you wanting to know about? A lot of things changed beyond recognition over the seven hundred or so years there was what we might think of as a 'Roman army'.

If you want to know about the late empire though, which seems to be when axes came into widespread use as weapons by the Romans, here is a Dominate period sculpture from Gamzigrad dating to some time in the first half of the fourth century AD. As you can see, the helmeted infantryman carries a spear, but the mounted man in the pillbox hat carries a clearly depicted single headed axe over his shoulder.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c...Serbia.jpg

Crispvs

[Scipio Severus]

Thanks guys, also I did mean late roman axes from the late 4th century to the mid 6th century. In hindsight I should've put that in the description from the start.