Roman Weapons....

[Primvs Pavlvs]

Just curious about Roman weapons other than swords, and spears. Is there any evidence that Romans used axes, maces or other hand weapons.

[Titus Martius]

Some roman auxiliary infantry units used maces (a few samples are on columns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius), but I don't know much about usage of axes (except dolabra).

[Tarbicus]

There is supposed to be a source reference to the axe being used in battle if the circumstances are right or call for it. Can't remember where the source is, perhaps someone else can.

[Matthew Amt]

In a battle during the revolt of Vindex in 69 AD, the rebel army had a contingent of fully-armored gladiators called crupelarii. The legionaries knocked them down with long poles (maybe tent poles?), and attacked them with dolabrae. That's an isolated incident, of course--the use of battle axes seems to have been very rare for ANY Europeans in Roman times. As Titus mentions, auxiliaries with big clubs are shown on the Column, and I think Tacitus mentions German tribesmen armed with clubs. Some Parthian cataphracts were using maces, very distinctive in shape.

There isn't a whole lot! Spears, javelins, and swords were the biggies.

Valete,

Matthew

[Tarbicus]

In a battle during the revolt of Vindex in 69 AD, the rebel army had a contingent of fully-armored gladiators called crupelarii. The legionaries knocked them down with long poles (maybe tent poles?), and attacked them with dolabrae. That's an isolated incident, of course

The mind boggles as to how the legionaries came to the decide on those weapons :?

[Matt Lukes]

In a battle during the revolt of Vindex in 69 AD, the rebel army had a contingent of fully-armored gladiators called crupelarii. The legionaries knocked them down with long poles (maybe tent poles?), and attacked them with dolabrae. That's an isolated incident, of course

The mind boggles as to how the legionaries came to the decide on those weapons :?

Reminiscent of how German Landser in WWI and WWII considered their spades as excellent close combat weapons in a pinch... and the dolabra is a LOT nastier looking than a spade

[D B Campbell]

You're maybe thinking of Arrian's Techne Taktike (or Tactica).
At 4.9, he writes (about "the Roman horsemen"): "They carry javelins on the one hand to hurl from far off, whenever this is necessary, and to fight close at hand, and if it is necessary to come to grips, they fight with swords (spathai). They also carry small axes with points (? blades/edges ?) in a circle all round."

[Tarbicus]

Lobely, thanks for that