Roman Weapons....

[Matthew Amt]

In a battle during the revolt of Vindex in 69 AD, the rebel army had a contingent of fully-armored gladiators called crupelarii. The legionaries knocked them down with long poles (maybe tent poles?), and attacked them with dolabrae. That's an isolated incident, of course--the use of battle axes seems to have been very rare for ANY Europeans in Roman times. As Titus mentions, auxiliaries with big clubs are shown on the Column, and I think Tacitus mentions German tribesmen armed with clubs. Some Parthian cataphracts were using maces, very distinctive in shape.

There isn't a whole lot! Spears, javelins, and swords were the biggies.

Valete,

Matthew