11-04-2011, 03:54 AM
Mike,
The centurio impression looks very good. I do have a few (hopefully helpful) comments to make though.
Firstly the sword. Personally I am doubtful that Mainz swords carried on in use as late as the reign of Trajan, but I do follow your thinking here and agree that a lot of the scabbards shown on the metopes do seem to have a form similar to a Mainz sheath. If you are getting a Pompeii sheath done especially for a Trajanic impression, it might be interesting to see what you could do with the sinuous plantlike patterns shown on the metope scabbards. I get the impression that they are intended to show scabbards fronted by embossed metal plates.
Secondly, the dagger. Unfortunately I do not have the report on the Leeuwen pugio so do not know what its context was, but the latest dated type 'A' sheath I am aware of is the Corbridge fragment, datable to the AD80s. As the tang of the dagger itself appears to be a type 'I' tang I would think that it would date to the first half of the first century AD. Unfortunately, as the decoration of the dagger and scabbard is not paralleled by any other examples it is not possible to date it according to its decorative scheme, as one would be able to if it had one of the decorative styles commonly encountered. Personally I think a safer bet for a Trajanic period dagger would be one in a frame type sheath, although frustratingly here, none of the surviving examples can be dated to within fifty years either side of Trajan's reign and at some unknown point in this interval their form appears to have changed substantially.
Thirdly, belt plates. Although plates of that style are listed in B&C within the rather wide 'Augustus to Hadrian' range, in reality many distinct changes can be detected and followed within this time. Although type 'B' plates with concentric circle decoration did continue in service after the figural type had disappeared before or around the start of the Flavian period, by the time of Trajan's AD98-117 reign they probably be rather old fashioned and I think a well paid centurio would probably want a more modern and up to date style. Belt styles, after all, do appear to have been more affected by the winds of fashion than any item we know about. I would suggest that when you have time and money you get another belt specifically for the Trajanic period, featuring openwork plates. Don't think though that I don't like your belt - I actually think it looks very good. I just think it would go better with your second to third quarter of the first century AD impression.
I hope that seems constructive rather than critical.
Crispvs
The centurio impression looks very good. I do have a few (hopefully helpful) comments to make though.
Firstly the sword. Personally I am doubtful that Mainz swords carried on in use as late as the reign of Trajan, but I do follow your thinking here and agree that a lot of the scabbards shown on the metopes do seem to have a form similar to a Mainz sheath. If you are getting a Pompeii sheath done especially for a Trajanic impression, it might be interesting to see what you could do with the sinuous plantlike patterns shown on the metope scabbards. I get the impression that they are intended to show scabbards fronted by embossed metal plates.
Secondly, the dagger. Unfortunately I do not have the report on the Leeuwen pugio so do not know what its context was, but the latest dated type 'A' sheath I am aware of is the Corbridge fragment, datable to the AD80s. As the tang of the dagger itself appears to be a type 'I' tang I would think that it would date to the first half of the first century AD. Unfortunately, as the decoration of the dagger and scabbard is not paralleled by any other examples it is not possible to date it according to its decorative scheme, as one would be able to if it had one of the decorative styles commonly encountered. Personally I think a safer bet for a Trajanic period dagger would be one in a frame type sheath, although frustratingly here, none of the surviving examples can be dated to within fifty years either side of Trajan's reign and at some unknown point in this interval their form appears to have changed substantially.
Thirdly, belt plates. Although plates of that style are listed in B&C within the rather wide 'Augustus to Hadrian' range, in reality many distinct changes can be detected and followed within this time. Although type 'B' plates with concentric circle decoration did continue in service after the figural type had disappeared before or around the start of the Flavian period, by the time of Trajan's AD98-117 reign they probably be rather old fashioned and I think a well paid centurio would probably want a more modern and up to date style. Belt styles, after all, do appear to have been more affected by the winds of fashion than any item we know about. I would suggest that when you have time and money you get another belt specifically for the Trajanic period, featuring openwork plates. Don't think though that I don't like your belt - I actually think it looks very good. I just think it would go better with your second to third quarter of the first century AD impression.
I hope that seems constructive rather than critical.
Crispvs
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