12-11-2008, 06:11 PM
Good question. Unfortunately we will probably never know.
We do know that the lower suspension rings were not normally used but in a specific instance such as this when the dagger is already being carried in an unusual fashion, who is really to say, although if the detail is correct and if Suetonius refers (in the original Latin) to it 'hanging' from his neck this suggests to me that Suetonius, at least, probably understood it to have been supported only from his neck and not his back as well. Mind you, I very much doubt the Suetonius would ever have seen the sight for himself so what he is telling us is something someone else has recorded or told him with an unknown amount of loss of original first hand detail. He may have understood the image perfectly or their may be an element of 'chinese whispers' at work. Either way we will probably never know.
Crispvs
We do know that the lower suspension rings were not normally used but in a specific instance such as this when the dagger is already being carried in an unusual fashion, who is really to say, although if the detail is correct and if Suetonius refers (in the original Latin) to it 'hanging' from his neck this suggests to me that Suetonius, at least, probably understood it to have been supported only from his neck and not his back as well. Mind you, I very much doubt the Suetonius would ever have seen the sight for himself so what he is telling us is something someone else has recorded or told him with an unknown amount of loss of original first hand detail. He may have understood the image perfectly or their may be an element of 'chinese whispers' at work. Either way we will probably never know.
Crispvs
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