Evidene of Eagle head hilts on Parazoniums

[Doc]

How much evidence is there for eagle head parazonia hilts? I have seen a bronze cast parazonium in Michael Fegueres' book that probably belonged to a statue that had an eagle head for a hilt. I have also seen an eagle head hilt on a parazonium that a Marcus Aurelius statue is holding and another statue in the Capitoline museum has the same ( the statue in this museum is a bald headed bearded man wearing a musculata...I do not know who he is)

However, at the same time I see hilts that look like those of a xipos. Now, I know that many people think that a Roman parazonium would have looked like a Greek xipos with respect to the blade also because the xipos appears to have been copied by Italics. All of the scabbard sculptures that I have seen appear to have the finial in a type of pelta shape just like actual Greek xipos that have been found.


So would it be plausible therefore,to make a parazonium scabbard with the typical Greek shape BUT have an eagle headed hilt as a modification to fit Roman taste?

Of course the Romans loving everything Greek could have left it with the typical xipos hilt. This is why I am asking for the eagle head evidence.

Any pictures would be appreciated.

[caiusbeerquitius]

At least two eagle-headed swords were found in Pompeii. They were found in small households, so were apparently no high-status weapons. The blades are more or less like falcatas.

[Virilis]

At least two eagle-headed swords were found in Pompeii. They were found in small households, so were apparently no high-status weapons. The blades are more or less like falcatas.

This is totally new to me! Christian, is it possible to get some additional info on those swords?

[caiusbeerquitius]

You must wait for the publication of S. Ortisi´s habilitation.

[Doc]

Interesting information. However, I was not implying that eagle headed swords were of high status. I was just asking if there is evidence of them on parazoniums shown somewhere......sculptures, frescoes, etc that were made by Romans.

When is this publication due out? I would like to see it. At least this is evidence that eagle heads were used on swords and are consistent with one sculpture of Marcus Aurelius where he has a parazonium with an eagle head. But again, this is only one sculpture that I know of. Are there others?

[Decebalus]

One of the better known depictions is that of the grave altar of the praefectus fabrum Q. Sulpicius Celsus


Regards

[Doc]

Andreas,

I completely forgot about this one. Thank you for the picture. What I find interesting here is that the shape of the sword is different tha most parazoniums found in other sculptures. Of course this may not be a parazonium but it does show that the Romans used eagle heads on their swords in this case the eagle headed sword is directly associated to a legionary officer.

Of course, it begs the question wether this is the true shape of a legionay officers sword since it is a sculpture of a personal panapoly versus the typical shape of officer swords in the Greek form of a xipos scabbard usually found in large friezes. Possibly those of friezes are stylzed for propaganda???

[caiusbeerquitius]

Didn't say that you suggested they were high status weapons, just thought it's a detail worth mentioning...

Book will be out as soon as the author is finished writing, as usual...

:-)

[Doc]

Thank you Christian for the information. I would like to reconstruct or have reconsturcted a parazonium. Most reconstructions give parazoniums no unique distinction other than an eagle headed pommel. The rest looks like a typical gladius but with extra decoration borrowed from existing gladii chapes, lockets, plates etc.

I was thinking of keeping with the idea that the Romans loved everything Greek and also other Italic. So being that Italic cultures were also influenced by the Greeks, I though about using a xipos for the blade, the scabbard shape as depicted in sculptures (the finial looks like some sort of pelta shape) but instead of using the typical xipos hilt, I though about using the eagle head to give it that Roman characteristic which is something they did as well.......borrow and make their own.

There also is a photo showing a Roman copy of Ares with a parazonium but the pommel is a lion head. I guess any of the animals important in Roman symbolism could be used for a hilt. It just so haplens that these animals are the same ones present on phalerae.