Franciscas used by Romans? Any find?

[Iagoba]

I´ve read in a lot of places that the late Roman troops, along their throwing weapons had the Francisca axe, but I´ve never known any finding or literary description...Is there any clear proof of their use in Army context? :?

Perhaps a newbie question, but I´m confused. And I like a lot that axe.... :roll:

[Salvianus]

Like many re-enactors, I call the light, thin S shaped axe blade from the Krefeld-Gellup burial a francisca, and replicas throw nicely, but I couldn't give you evidence for that association: for all I know, the simpler curving axe head in the burial was one or both were & the shape wasn't specific. An axe found at Burgh Castle is referred to as a francisca. IIRC that was of the second, simpler shape & like a good number of Roman finds.

Robert Vermaat translates Horst Wolfgang Böhme's THE END OF ROMAN RULE IN BRITAIN AND THE ANGLO-SAXON SETTLEMENT OF ENGLAND DURING THE 5TH CENTURY which summarises the late and post Roman finds including a number of axes, with nice diagrams:

http://www.fectio.org.uk/articles/hwb/list2.htm

[Iagoba]

Sorry, I missed the reply... :oops:
What I was looking for was any evidence of the use of the francisca by the roman army. The list states "Evidence of Military presence in Britain" but I´ve not clear if this includes Roman Army...
Thanks!

[Tarbicus]

Of any use?

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisand ... ivory.html
A Warrior with a ‘Danish Axe’ in a Byzantine Ivory Panel
Peter Beatson - NVG Miklagard



Probably not, but interesting anyway :wink:

[Iagoba]

Thanks, but I dont want a two handed axe...for roman reenactment.
Seens to me that the Cohors want to make me the "saxon" recruit:
-If I finish it I can use a seax.:?:
-As this buckle was found in veleia, we know that there was a connection with saxon britain in the early V century... hock:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

the Byzantine Varangians or what ever they were called used an axe, which is what the relief Tarbicus posted depicts, I believe. The were of Norse? Stock???? I seem to recall!