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Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - Printable Version

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Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - Ironhand - 04-21-2007

I'm curious as to the typical dimensions of the two handed version of the Dacian falx. I've seen the blade stated at being up to 1 meter long. I've seen artistic depictions that seem to resemble this, but the hilt did not seem to be over 12" at the most in length. I have an odd fondness for this weapon and before I send an order to a smith I'd like to get it right beyond the limited resources I've seen. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Derek D. Estabrook

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - Ironhand - 04-23-2007

I guess it isn't an easy question. I guess I'll have to talk to Tinker and Mark Morrow. Hopefully, one of them would know.

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER - 04-24-2007

Check out David Sim, "The making and testing of a falx also known as the Dacian battle scythe," Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 11 (2000): 37-41.

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - Ironhand - 04-24-2007

Thanks. I turned up some really good resources out of the search.

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - Peroni - 04-24-2007

Not certain of dimensions, but looking at the Adamklissi metopes you can get a guestimate of size in relation to the men swinging them around!

There's also a lot of variety shown on the metopes when it comes to shapes too.

[Image: AdamklissimonumentJRMESVol.jpg]

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - Susanna - 04-24-2007

Here:

http://www.musica-romana.de/de/galery04/b-r_05.html

and here:

http://www.musica-romana.de/de/galery04/b-r_01.html

our friend Marco reenacts a Dacian. :wink: Big Grin

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - Tarbicus - 04-24-2007

There's also its bigger and scarier cousin, the romphaia:

http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic ... sc&start=0

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - lup_alb - 05-02-2007

Hello again from Romania. Sorry for not beeing here for a long time but I have so little free time Cry ....
About the dacian falx. There are many contradicting theories about it but as far as I know, there was a great variety of dimensions from a dagger size weapon that is know as "sica" to a huge two handed polearm. The general shape was similar, the blade was curved and the edge was on the inside of the curve. I know about findings of weapons between 30 cm to about 60 cm overall length but those can't be considered the two handed falx that apear on Adamclisi metopes and on the Trajan's Column. On the column you can see also dacians fighting with shorter versions of the weapons that could be estimated as beeing around 50 to 70 cm long but the two handed falx could have been between 1,2 to 1,5 m long including the handle.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/L ... age010.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/L ... age006.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/L ... age004.jpg

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - ShaneA - 05-03-2007

I don't think that I would consider those in the last three images as falx, they seem to be a Thracian sword variety. They seem to start showing up about the same time everyone starts running around with these forward curved swords, falcata, machaira, etc. I think that these might predate the falx slightly, so it may very well be what the falx originates from.

Shane

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - MeinPanzer - 05-03-2007

Quote:I don't think that I would consider those in the last three images as falx, they seem to be a Thracian sword variety. They seem to start showing up about the same time everyone starts running around with these forward curved swords, falcata, machaira, etc. I think that these might predate the falx slightly, so it may very well be what the falx originates from.

Shane

IIRC, the machaira was in use in the 5th and maybe even the 6th C. BC, while the romphaia or sica are not found before the 4th C. BC, so I doubt there is much of a connection.

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - lup_alb - 05-03-2007

Well, those findings were discovered in the southern part of Romania in the lands of the Getae. The romans named "dacians" the people from present day Transylvania and the greeks named "getae" the people from the south eastern part, present day Walachia and Dobrudja. It is interesting that the getae prefered curved weapons as the falx and the sica, maybe also variations of the machaira and falcata (one falcata can be seen on the piedestal of Trajan's column) and the dacians prefered straight long swords similar to the celtic LaTene swords or even similar to spatha or gladius and kept sica as a secondary weapon.

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - MeinPanzer - 05-03-2007

Quote:Well, those findings were discovered in the southern part of Romania in the lands of the Getae. The romans named "dacians" the people from present day Transylvania and the greeks named "getae" the people from the south eastern part, present day Walachia and Dobrudja. It is interesting that the getae prefered curved weapons as the falx and the sica, maybe also variations of the machaira and falcata (one falcata can be seen on the piedestal of Trajan's column) and the dacians prefered straight long swords similar to the celtic LaTene swords or even similar to spatha or gladius and kept sica as a secondary weapon.

It makes perfect sense, really. The Dacians had close contact with the eastern Celtic groups, while the Getae had close contact with the Thracians. Do you know of the earliest example of what could truly be called a falx (i.e. not just a sica, but a large-sized blade)? Did it grow out of the tradition of the romphaia from the 4th c. BC, or did it emerge at the same time?

BTW, it is very interesting to note that the late 4th c. BC Hjortspring finds from Denmark included a small romphaia, indicating a link between southeastern Europe and northern Europe already in the 300s BC.

Dimensions of Dacian falx - Paullus Scipio - 05-21-2007

For what it's worth, the two-handed falx is never used by "Dacians" on Trajan's column or the Tropaeum Traiani, but only by Germanic tribesmen usually identified as "Bastarnae".
The base of Trajan's column is in the form of trophy arms, all accurately depicted in great detail, and life-sized.
I measured the falx dimensions as follows:-
overall length; 36" (90 cm )
handle length: 14" (35cm)
blade width at hilt: 2" (5cm), smoothly tapering to a curved point
Handle diameter : varies and is 'waisted' in the middle 1.12"-1.5" (2.8cm -3.75 cm)
The "chord" of the curve is 11"(27.5cm) i.e a plumbob dropped vertically from the tip is 11" to the side of the centre of the hilt.
Several are shown, all the same dimensions aprox, all have flat blades, but handles vary slightly in style/shape.

Re: Dimensions of Dacian Falx? - lup_alb - 05-21-2007

Thank you Paullus Scipio!. If you have detailed images from the column base, I would hugely apreciate some digital copies. Also if you took measurements of other wepons, shields and armor depicted there, I would like those informations too. please contact me on PM. Laudes!

Re: Dimensions of Dacian falx - Robert Vermaat - 05-21-2007

Quote:For what it's worth, the two-handed falx is never used by "Dacians" on Trajan's column or the Tropaeum Traiani, but only by Germanic tribesmen usually identified as "Bastarnae".

So these guys are Bastarnae?
http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/arma/i ... /met-h.jpg

http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/arma/i ... /met-b.jpg

http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/arma/i ... /met-c.jpg