The Falx

[Paullus Scipio]

Diegis wrote:-

Hmm, your theory is a little wrong. Not my theory, but the common opinion of over a hundred years worth of archaeologists, historians and many eminent scholars... First, you said that bastarnae can be recognized because they are bare chested, and have that suebian knot. ...some have the Suebian knot, but not all... Dacians ( nobles ), however, are allways recognized after their specific cap. This is what you said, that the images are done in a such way that the "readers" recognize who is who. I did not mention caps as being a 'distinction' - all peoples, Dacians, Bastarnae,Sarmatians and Romans are shown at different times on the two monuments wearing caps and other types of headwear...this is not one of the features that make a distinction.. Following your logic, why dacians cannot fight bare chested ( after all, beeing a hot day there, and in the heat of fight, this will not be something unusual ), or even tie their hair in a germanic way, ...because this would confuse the 'audience/reader, obviously - this is a specious argument to turn Bastarnae into 'Dacians' by those ( like the Romanian government under the communists and Ceaucescu), who seek to peddle a warped view of history for their own ends... but bastarnae can wear a specific dacian part of clothing ? see above - caps are not unique to Dacians... I am clueless

but, as a rule, sarmatians fight integrated in dacian strategy of war, I don't know of any evidence for this - we can't even be sure of how the Romans conducted the campaign, let alone Dacians or Sarmatians... a war of dacians against romans, executing the plans of Decebal -..We know nothing of Decebalus' plans, AFIK.. ( btw, at Adamclissi, fought both dacians and sarmatians, in the same battle, not separated, ..I am not sure what you mean here - on the Adamklissi monument, only Bastarnae are shown in combat scenes on the Metopes, though all three types appear as prisoners on the crenellations... maybe contigents of one was not intercalated with others, as well as roman legionares not intercalated in begining of battle for ex, with moor auxiliar cavalry ). ... again, not sure what you mean...on the column, legionaries, auxiliaries and Barbarian Allies(symmachiari) all fight 'intercalated', unlike their enemies...

As to your anecdote about Decebelus' plans to involve the Parthians, what source are you using here?