Dacian Swords (Other than the Falx)

[diegis]

To Diegis:
The above appears to be highly speculative, and to me at least, highly unlikely.
What is the evidence on which you base your broad conclusions ?
'Akinakes' type swords, for example, were not only used by Persians but by steppe nomads too. There is no evidnce I know of, either iconographic or archaeological, for widespread use of the two-handed 'Falx', nor any iconographic evidence to suggest it's use by Dacians at all, let alone that it was developed by Dacians to 'break the Roman Shield wall'......again, the information we have suggests that Legionaries at this time (c.100 AD) did NOT fight in a 'shield wall' at all !!
What evidence is there to suggest any link between the two-handed 'Falx' types, and the 'sica' apart from the fact that both are curved and have inside edges ( like scythes) ? They do not seem to have much in common.....in fact it would be more logical to suggest the 'Falx' developed from a scythe.... :wink:

Well, it is in a way speculative, and is based in part on my views, yes, and in what i believe it is a logic thinking. First, falx apear in last century BC ( replacing the older straight long swords ), and is used mostly until begining of second century AD ( even i saw in a material presented previous that a falx was discovered in a dacian tomb dated later then those dates ), exactly the times when Dacians and Romans "meet" for the first time, until they last major wars ( there was other after too, but none of them at such scale, and fight by a coordinated and trained by "the state" if we can say that, dacian army ). As well, all falxes was finded in dacian sites, and romans themselves said that are dacian swords, and i dont think they lied about that, if was not as that. About iconographic images, well, let say that this is debatable, and we have here diferent point of views, but the majoritar opinion i saw everywhere i see/read about the falx is that is a dacian sword, used by dacians ( even i cant say that is not posible to be gived to some allies/auxiliar troops who fight for them ).
As well, the shape of the sword is the best for use against an oponent who have a big shield, and only enemy who have that was romans. And ofcourse they still use that scutum, and fight in a closer formation, even in 100 AD. Falx was developed precisely to fight against such enemy, beeing able to hit over the shield, and under the shield, in both piercing and cutting moves, against head, legs, or even arms. This is the reason for romans to reinforce their helmets, and use protection armor for arms and legs, used at that moments just by gladiators. Thats why they associate the sword with Dacians and dacian wars, and not mention any others, even much later after the wars. Bastarnae tribe was a small tribe, living in stepes north-north west of Black Sea, who was partialy exterminated by Dacians under Burebista, and fight as dacians auxiliars in war with romans. They dont need such swords, since they dont have enemies who was protected by such big shields.
As well, the scythe as we know today apeared in Europe much later ( a millenium later ) after the wars we talking here ( at least according to "wikipedia" ), and trust me, i saw ( and even use ) both of them, is not any conection beside the inner shaped edge. Totaly diferent baldes, and totaly diferent construction of the tool versus the sword. Yes, in medieval times the schyte was used as weapon, here in Romania at least, maybe in similar ways with falx in some moments, but is not for sure developed falx from a scythe. More close to that is the sickle. But much more close is the "Sica", which resemble ( at least some exemplares ) in a smaller scale the bigger falx, no doubt here ( as you can see in some iconography and images of both original and modern reproductions swords i present in a previous post ). Both have curved blades ( true, not quite a standardization of degrees ) sharpened inside, and having the same constructive pattern, and even look ( yes, not quite all, but most of them ), what you want more ? Is obviously that falx is the bigger "brother / sister" of sica.