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Bellum Judaicum and Roman Cavalry
#1
Josephus gives a description of the cavalry carrying their shields on the saddle.

I have two references in Book 3 from secondary sources (first given is III, 5, 5 and III, 38) neither of which contain the passage I am looking for.

Can anyone help me identify it, please?

Thank you.
Moi Watson

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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#2
III, 5, 5
The cavalry carry a large sword on their right side,
a long pike in the hand, a buckler resting obliquely
on the horse's flank, and in a quiver slung beside
them three or more darts with broad points and as
long as spears


III, 38 must be a mistake, there is neither a chapter 38 nor a verse 38.
Andreas Gagelmann
Berlin, Germany
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#3
That's very kind of you, thank you.

I looked up III 5, 5 on line and it was no where near this. Perhaps I had got lost in footnotes or something. My loeb copy is only Books I and II.

III, 38 was given in the Osprey book I think.
Moi Watson

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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#4
Where as the comments from Decabulus are correct, I think that the reference to slung shields is far to brief.....not what I expected. The Buckler, a mediaeval term for a small shield, and 3 or more darts with broad points sounds like late Roman Infantry.....Plumbata. Maybe time and language has twisted it all. I think we have a medieval translation here. Its bloody difficult to sus whats what. That's a pity.
How were Scutum slung fom a Saddle?
Kevin
Kevin
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#5
Quote: The Buckler, a mediaeval term for a small shield, and 3 or more darts with broad points sounds like late Roman Infantry.....

It's just bad old translations again. 'Pike' is (I would guess) an ordinary cavalry spear, 'buckler' is a shield and 'dart' a javelin. Josephus was writing in Greek, so the original words would not be the familiar Latin, but the weapons are nothing out of the ordinary, I think.

I had a look for the other shield passage, but I've only got the Penguin translation and the numbering is completely different, it seems. I'll have another look later though.
Nathan Ross
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#6
This is why I want the Loeb!
Moi Watson

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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#7
Moi.
Here is an interesting thing where this Spatha chape in my collection had Acanthus leaves on both sides but the left has completely worn away very likely from a shield carried on a saddle horn rubbing at it over a long period of time.
Then eventually it even wore away the rivet that caused it to fall from its scabbard.
[attachment=10275]chape5.jpg[/attachment]


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Brian Stobbs
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#8
Quote:Where as the comments from Decabulus are correct, I think that the reference to slung shields is far to brief.....not what I expected. The Buckler, a mediaeval term for a small shield, and 3 or more darts with broad points sounds like late Roman Infantry.....Plumbata. Maybe time and language has twisted it all. I think we have a medieval translation here. Its bloody difficult to sus whats what. That's a pity.
How were Scutum slung fom a Saddle?
Kevin

This way, hanging from straps to the rear horns.
[attachment=10276]1010886_806335886056751_7750939043425569929_n.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=10277]10154975_806336429390030_1496758416287368427_n.jpg[/attachment]


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#9
Moi, if you need a copy of book III, the whole Loeb collection is made public domain and downloadable here:

Loebulus

Jewish war is L203 and L210

Brian, that's interesting but in the Illerup find most of the sword chapes show also some traces on the right side which has let to the assumption that the swords have been worn on the right of the body. Far most of the Illerup warriors have been foot soldiers.
I'm very sceptical about this theory and would like to know if the spatha bearing reenactors among us could confirm that the chape could show traces which shows after some time on which side of the body it was worn or if even a shield interior could do this when riding with shield on the horse's side.
Andreas Gagelmann
Berlin, Germany
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#10
Andreas.
It could well be that this sword was worn on the right side with the shield carried on the rear horn right side, therefore wear may well have been caused from the inside forward edge of the shield rubbing over time very similar to that shown by Cesar.
Brian Stobbs
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#11
Well, given a fair wind and a wet sail I should be able to test the theory...
Moi Watson

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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