03-03-2007, 07:38 AM
I was looking closely at the Adamklissi metopes (as you do on a rainy Saturday) and I wondered whether we have been holding our spears/ pila wrongly.
This is the classic reenactor hold, here from the ESG at Stoneleigh.
But on the Adamklissi metope, a very different hold is used.
http://www.dirtyredcommie.com/gallery/v ... ewsIndex=1
(you'll have to expand to full size to examine closely - top right hand corner of the screen).
Each of the three soldiers holds the hasta/ pilum at the end of the shaft, with the little finger extended. It is clearly not a sculptors mistake- and would have taken more time to do.
A similar hold (though without the little finger extension) is shown on the Mainz pedestals.
A quick experiment shows that there is a clear advantage to the hold shown on Adamklissi as it allows the hasta/ pilum to be immediately brought into a fighting stance without having to change the hand grip. (Try it- I was suprised at the practical advantage it gives you). It also has the pilum / hasta extending far higher than with the usual reenactor stance.
Your thoughts?
Cheers
Caballo
This is the classic reenactor hold, here from the ESG at Stoneleigh.
But on the Adamklissi metope, a very different hold is used.
http://www.dirtyredcommie.com/gallery/v ... ewsIndex=1
(you'll have to expand to full size to examine closely - top right hand corner of the screen).
Each of the three soldiers holds the hasta/ pilum at the end of the shaft, with the little finger extended. It is clearly not a sculptors mistake- and would have taken more time to do.
A similar hold (though without the little finger extension) is shown on the Mainz pedestals.
A quick experiment shows that there is a clear advantage to the hold shown on Adamklissi as it allows the hasta/ pilum to be immediately brought into a fighting stance without having to change the hand grip. (Try it- I was suprised at the practical advantage it gives you). It also has the pilum / hasta extending far higher than with the usual reenactor stance.
Your thoughts?
Cheers
Caballo