The Falx

[Berbescu]

Ioan, I think that Paul is simply using a different definition of "falx". If I understand correctly, he is using the term more generally to refer to several similar weapons.

I personally use it to refer specifically to the Dacian (or found in Dacia) weapon (and recommend that usage) but maybe there are other's who use it differently. Perhaps it would be more useful to simply define ones such terms at the beginning instead of arguing over terminology.

But this terminology that has already been defined in the academic literature. It has been used for a long time. It is not something that the academic world is debating. It only confuses people if everyone makes his own new terminology. How many of the people in this discussion have even seen a falx or sica? If not, then why for them to make new terminology about something they don't know? Unless there is some good evidence for an error of current terminology, then we should continue with the established terminology. Or at least at the beginning of a comment, note that "what the established literature calls a _____" if someone is in disagreement with the terminology.