03-17-2014, 05:47 PM
The problem with the semispathium being a pugio is that in Milner's notes to his translation (where he argues that it is indeed in reference to a pugio), he justifies this by reference to Isodore 18.6.4-5. This is problematic at best, given Isodore's penchant for fanciful etymologies.
The full Latin text from Vegetius is as follows (II, XV):
Haec erat grauis armatura, quia habebant cassides catafractas ocreas scuta gladios maiores, quos spathas uocant, et alios minores, quos semispathia nominant, plumbatas quinas positas in scutis, quas primo impetu iaciunt, item bina missibilia, unum maius ferro triangulo unciarum nouem, hastili pedem quinque semis, quod pilum uocabant, nunc spiculum dicitur, ad cuius ictum exercebantur praecipue milites, quod arte et uirtute directum et scutatos pedites et loricatos equites saepe transuerberat, aliud minus ferro unciarum quinque, hastili pedum trium semis, quod tunc uericulum, nunc uerutum dicitur.
I wonder if any RAT member can render the Latin into English which is different from Milner's translation? Vegetius seems to use gladius in an anachronistic sense as in the weapon used by the legionaries (now called a spatha) with smaller swords called semispathia. Would a pugio fit into the sense of what Vegetius is writing about in that sentence?
The full Latin text from Vegetius is as follows (II, XV):
Haec erat grauis armatura, quia habebant cassides catafractas ocreas scuta gladios maiores, quos spathas uocant, et alios minores, quos semispathia nominant, plumbatas quinas positas in scutis, quas primo impetu iaciunt, item bina missibilia, unum maius ferro triangulo unciarum nouem, hastili pedem quinque semis, quod pilum uocabant, nunc spiculum dicitur, ad cuius ictum exercebantur praecipue milites, quod arte et uirtute directum et scutatos pedites et loricatos equites saepe transuerberat, aliud minus ferro unciarum quinque, hastili pedum trium semis, quod tunc uericulum, nunc uerutum dicitur.
I wonder if any RAT member can render the Latin into English which is different from Milner's translation? Vegetius seems to use gladius in an anachronistic sense as in the weapon used by the legionaries (now called a spatha) with smaller swords called semispathia. Would a pugio fit into the sense of what Vegetius is writing about in that sentence?
Francis Hagan
The Barcarii
The Barcarii
