03-23-2012, 12:51 PM
I have Miks' book but his discussion on this issue is rather cursory.
To me, the issue of the gladius hispaniensis is still somewhat puzzling:
The Mainz Gladius with its broad waisted blade has strong similarities with an earlier type of Spanish Antenna sword. However, all swords in Roman contexts from the intermediate period appear to have rather straight edges and are rather long and slim just like the Celtic/Celtiberian LaTene swords of the period.
Miks draws a direct line from the Antenna swords to the Mainz Gladius and more or less explains the Roman "LaTene"swords away as weapons used by non-Celtic auxiliaries. Quesada-Sanz and other scholars accept that the "LaTene" swords are Roman and Quesada-Sanz assumes that the term "Hispaniensis" may actually have had more to do with quality of material and workmanship and possibly also scabbard mounting than with the exact form.
If we accept the "LaTene" swords as hispanienses (it appears improbable to me that the high number of swords found would be auxiliary weapons and not a single Roman weapon was found), then we must accept that Roman sword development was going round in circles: From the mid-length slender straight hispaniensis to the short waisted broad Mainz to the even shorter slender straight Pompeji and then to a mid-length straight Spatha (which existed both in slender and broad variants).
To me, the issue of the gladius hispaniensis is still somewhat puzzling:
The Mainz Gladius with its broad waisted blade has strong similarities with an earlier type of Spanish Antenna sword. However, all swords in Roman contexts from the intermediate period appear to have rather straight edges and are rather long and slim just like the Celtic/Celtiberian LaTene swords of the period.
Miks draws a direct line from the Antenna swords to the Mainz Gladius and more or less explains the Roman "LaTene"swords away as weapons used by non-Celtic auxiliaries. Quesada-Sanz and other scholars accept that the "LaTene" swords are Roman and Quesada-Sanz assumes that the term "Hispaniensis" may actually have had more to do with quality of material and workmanship and possibly also scabbard mounting than with the exact form.
If we accept the "LaTene" swords as hispanienses (it appears improbable to me that the high number of swords found would be auxiliary weapons and not a single Roman weapon was found), then we must accept that Roman sword development was going round in circles: From the mid-length slender straight hispaniensis to the short waisted broad Mainz to the even shorter slender straight Pompeji and then to a mid-length straight Spatha (which existed both in slender and broad variants).
Regards,
Jens Horstkotte
Munich, Germany
Jens Horstkotte
Munich, Germany
