11-18-2002, 02:24 PM
Conal:<br>
Graham saw it in the BM, but a lot of the pieces in that exhibit were on loan from other museums,so I'd like to know which one has it as part of its permanent collection. That's the one that will have the documentation, if any.<br>
A tessarius (pl. tessarae)is a single piece used in mosaic inlay. this brings up yet another sword never seen in archaeological finds: the one used by the type of gladiator Junkelmann identifies as "essedarius" but which I think, at least in Republican times, is called the "Gaul." They fight with virtually no armor, a big, oval shield and a short sword. In later times the helmet was round, crestless and enclosed like the secutor's but with side-plumes. They were always paired against one another. On the Zliten mosaic a pair are shown with swords that look square-tipped. I thought this was because the swords were only a single tessarius wide, but Marcus pointed out that other depictions show their swords with round or square points. Very odd. <p></p><i></i>
Graham saw it in the BM, but a lot of the pieces in that exhibit were on loan from other museums,so I'd like to know which one has it as part of its permanent collection. That's the one that will have the documentation, if any.<br>
A tessarius (pl. tessarae)is a single piece used in mosaic inlay. this brings up yet another sword never seen in archaeological finds: the one used by the type of gladiator Junkelmann identifies as "essedarius" but which I think, at least in Republican times, is called the "Gaul." They fight with virtually no armor, a big, oval shield and a short sword. In later times the helmet was round, crestless and enclosed like the secutor's but with side-plumes. They were always paired against one another. On the Zliten mosaic a pair are shown with swords that look square-tipped. I thought this was because the swords were only a single tessarius wide, but Marcus pointed out that other depictions show their swords with round or square points. Very odd. <p></p><i></i>
