08-18-2004, 05:49 PM
Both the scabbard in the third photo and Annaius' scabbard make me think of a sword described by Janka Istenic at RoMEC in 1999 and in the 2000 edition of JRMES, which had had a decorative frame attached to its front. Something resembling that frame is visible at the bottom of Annaius' scabbard and the thing over the scabbard face in photo three appears to have been a later decorative addition to a Mainz type scabbard. As Mike points out, the disks on this item also resemble disks on Annaius' scabbard. In a copy of Exercitus from a few years ago, Martin White of the ESG pointed out two items from Hod Hill which may have been used to decorate and personalise scabbards.<br>
The item in photo two is unlike any Roman dagger that I am aware of and I am inclined to agree that it looks like a gladius which has been broken off at an angle. Was it associated with the Herculaneum soldier or was it merely shown next to the Herculaneum sword in an exhibition catalogue? I had been led to believe that he was only equipped with one side-arm.<br>
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Crispvs <p></p><i></i>
The item in photo two is unlike any Roman dagger that I am aware of and I am inclined to agree that it looks like a gladius which has been broken off at an angle. Was it associated with the Herculaneum soldier or was it merely shown next to the Herculaneum sword in an exhibition catalogue? I had been led to believe that he was only equipped with one side-arm.<br>
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Crispvs <p></p><i></i>
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