11-22-2006, 11:37 AM
Felix,
I have been researching this myself. The best article I have read on this subject is Michael P Anastasiadis - On handling the menavlion - In: Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 18, 1-10 (1994).
He outlines the material for their construction as being recorded in the anonymous mid 10th C Sylloge Tacticorum and the late 10th C Praecepta Militaria attributed to the Emperor Nikephoros II. Hard species of wood are the acceptable sort. Preferably in their natural state ie unhewn saplings of oak, cornel or the as yet unidentified artsekidia. If unhewn wood can’t be found then they must still be hard wood and as thick as possible for hands to wield.
Anastasiadis covers other citations of the menaulion and reconciles what may appear to be differences in dimensions by different authors. He goes on to cite the Excerptum Tacticum and states the menavlion was originally a type of hunting spear being a distortion of the Latin venabulum. The poet Prudentius in c. AD 400 refers to the venabulum as being used in the taurobolium. Images of venatores (or in Gk theriomaches) show them either dressed and armed as gladiators, or wearing a tunic and leg wrappings, with a spear as their only weapon. Most venatores would fight with a venabulum, with which they could stab at the beast, whilst keeping themselves at a distance. The cross piece on the venabulum is a simple design feature to prevent the wounded animal from advancing up the shaft to attack the hunter. A secondary function is to keep the spear blade within the victim so the victim’s struggles assist the blade’s efforts to kill.
So we are left with a short (in comparison to the kontarion), stout 6' long spear with a broad, long, winged head about 17-20" long. Quite a nasty close quarters weapon.
The weapon could be also set up on a bipod arrangement to form an oversize caltrop to also act as a barricade against the enemy.
Anastasiadis also covers the development in how the weapon was deployed over time. The Byzantine army was a combined arms outfit. So menaulatoi are variously used as skirmishers, support against a kataphract charge and mopping up party to outflank, encircle and dispatch stragglers. Used in line formation they were also used to their best advantage in the old fashioned infantry square where their stout weapons could withstand the impact of a cavalry charge even if the kontaria around them shattered.
I have been researching this myself. The best article I have read on this subject is Michael P Anastasiadis - On handling the menavlion - In: Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 18, 1-10 (1994).
He outlines the material for their construction as being recorded in the anonymous mid 10th C Sylloge Tacticorum and the late 10th C Praecepta Militaria attributed to the Emperor Nikephoros II. Hard species of wood are the acceptable sort. Preferably in their natural state ie unhewn saplings of oak, cornel or the as yet unidentified artsekidia. If unhewn wood can’t be found then they must still be hard wood and as thick as possible for hands to wield.
Anastasiadis covers other citations of the menaulion and reconciles what may appear to be differences in dimensions by different authors. He goes on to cite the Excerptum Tacticum and states the menavlion was originally a type of hunting spear being a distortion of the Latin venabulum. The poet Prudentius in c. AD 400 refers to the venabulum as being used in the taurobolium. Images of venatores (or in Gk theriomaches) show them either dressed and armed as gladiators, or wearing a tunic and leg wrappings, with a spear as their only weapon. Most venatores would fight with a venabulum, with which they could stab at the beast, whilst keeping themselves at a distance. The cross piece on the venabulum is a simple design feature to prevent the wounded animal from advancing up the shaft to attack the hunter. A secondary function is to keep the spear blade within the victim so the victim’s struggles assist the blade’s efforts to kill.
So we are left with a short (in comparison to the kontarion), stout 6' long spear with a broad, long, winged head about 17-20" long. Quite a nasty close quarters weapon.
The weapon could be also set up on a bipod arrangement to form an oversize caltrop to also act as a barricade against the enemy.
Anastasiadis also covers the development in how the weapon was deployed over time. The Byzantine army was a combined arms outfit. So menaulatoi are variously used as skirmishers, support against a kataphract charge and mopping up party to outflank, encircle and dispatch stragglers. Used in line formation they were also used to their best advantage in the old fashioned infantry square where their stout weapons could withstand the impact of a cavalry charge even if the kontaria around them shattered.
Peter Raftos
