09-29-2008, 12:30 PM
Very interesting posts, Otis.
I think that your idea that the Romans seized on the falx as a convenient visual cue that would identify a person in a work of art as a Dacian, even if that was not their most typical weapon, is a good one. Reminds me a little of the Roman use of the bashlyk cap as a convenient visual shorthand for identifying a figure as being from the "East", even though such headgear was not worn by every person from Asia Minor on east.
It is interesting to me that the Adamclisi metopes show the Dacian wielding falxes, though. Being so close to the area of the conflict, one might expect that the artistans would have been familiar with what weapons the Dacians actually used. But, that doesn't mean that the falxes were not still being used as an identifier, to clearly separate the Romans and Dacians, despite the actual falxes being relatively rare.
Is it possible that the falx was common, but only for a short period of time, leading to few actual finds of the weapon?
Good topic!
I think that your idea that the Romans seized on the falx as a convenient visual cue that would identify a person in a work of art as a Dacian, even if that was not their most typical weapon, is a good one. Reminds me a little of the Roman use of the bashlyk cap as a convenient visual shorthand for identifying a figure as being from the "East", even though such headgear was not worn by every person from Asia Minor on east.
It is interesting to me that the Adamclisi metopes show the Dacian wielding falxes, though. Being so close to the area of the conflict, one might expect that the artistans would have been familiar with what weapons the Dacians actually used. But, that doesn't mean that the falxes were not still being used as an identifier, to clearly separate the Romans and Dacians, despite the actual falxes being relatively rare.
Is it possible that the falx was common, but only for a short period of time, leading to few actual finds of the weapon?
Good topic!
I compensate for my ignorance by being obtuse.
- Bill M. (me)
- Bill M. (me)
