The "Myth" of the "Dacian Falx" as a super weapon

[Paullus Scipio]

I would find it strange if the Romans would dedicate such space in these monuments for a simple makeshift defensive tool used only once in a small skirmish.
There is however one important issue with considering this weapon to be overly effective.
I do posses a (blunt) Falx myself that I have tried to use against varouis opponents in controlled freefight bouts and I would not consider it to be a good weapon for an unarmored user to utilise.
If you look at the spectacular picture of the sharp Falx splitting the Scutum, you see that the wielder has extended himself quite far, has wedged his weapon in the Scutum of his adversary (though I doubt this would happen very often under battlefield conditions) and would not be able to react in any way to a counterattack.
In short even if he managed to wound his direct adversary he would be very dead by a stab form the next Roman opposing him.
The Falx is simply to shorthandled to give the reach - and thereby tactical flexibility and protection - that true polearms provide.
I doubt if a mass of unarmored shieldless combatants would be very suitable as shock infantry against ordered Roman ranks, even if these would not utilise their pila against this mass of unprotected targets.

As for the superior cutting abilitys of curved weapons it should be noted that almost all weapons designed for an efficient cut have the outward curvate sharpend and not the inward curvate.

The mere fact that the "wagon massacre" is the subject of the Adamklissi monument, and also shown on the Column demonstrates that it was no mere 'small skirmish', but a major battle, and probable invasion of Roman Moesia. To understand this, one needs to know a little more. The geography makes these hills a natural bridge, some 25-30 miles(40-48 km) wide avoiding what were marshy valleys, between wallachia and the rest of Europe. They are the gateway to southern Europe and a crossroads, where many roads meet - from here an invader has the choice of heading south to Greece and Byzantium/Turkey, or west into Bulgaria or Serbia and on into Europe having outflanked the Danube barrier.The area was thus of utmost strategic importance - many ancient and mediaeval battles took place in and around Adrianople, not so far south of Adamklissi.
There are in fact three monuments at Adamklissi, the first two commemorating what must have been a major Roman defeat in the 80's AD, probably the defeat of Oppius Sabinus, but perhaps that of Fuscus. First there is a great mausoleum/tomb, 125 ft(60 m) in diameter, and opposite it is a large altar 40 ft(19 m) square, with the names of the dead engraved in column after column (c.f. the U.S. Vietnam memorial). Due south of this is Trajan's great 'Tropaeum/trophy', dedicated (importantly) to Mars Ultor/Mars the avenger. Evidently Trajan trapped the "wagon people", defeated and massacred them, men women and children implying they were wiped out. (Significantly, in 179 BC, at the invitation of Philip V of Macedon, an alleged 60,000 Bastarnae, accompanied by their women and children in wagons crossed the Danube, intending to displace Philip's enemies the Dardanians, but the invasion ultimately failed when Philip died.....)
The most likely explanation is that history was repeating itself and the Peucini/Bastarnae were invading to recover their lost territories south of the Danube.....

I would certainly agree with Olaf's comments regarding the 'falx' as a weapon - hardly ideal ! This tends to support the idea of an 'improvised' rather than a 'designed' weapon, for surely the first thing one would do is lengthen the handle ? Olaf's comments about the lack of success when using it as a weapon perhaps demonstrate that those metopes depicting 'chopper wielders' are not just Roman propaganda, but perhaps quite true to life.... :wink:

Btw, you can still buy 'falxes' in their various forms as tools, as Jim Webster has pointed out to me.....as you can see, it hasn't changed much down the centuries....Here are the instructions for use, and if you look at some of the metopes they are being used in exactly this fashion !!

"It is imperative anyone using a garden slasher is fully aware of how to use the tool and the potential dangers to both themselves and those around them!
For clearance of scrub the garden slasher should be held with one hand on the heel and the other halfway along the shaft. The garden slasher should be swung through a wide arc bringing the hand along the shaft to meet the one at the heel towards the end of the swing. The cutting relies on the momentum of the swing rather than energy from the user. Both hands should be kept on the shaft at all times, do not end the swing hanging on to the end of the shaft with one hand. The garden slasher is a dangerous tool if not under control."