11-27-2015, 05:55 PM
It's a rather difficut topic. There is no big evidence for swords, used in the hellenistic kingdoms.
There is some evidence for the use of these "three lobed'' pommels and it also seems that they used longer blades, than on previous Xiphos type Swords :
http://dlib.nyu.edu/awdl/isaw/isaw-papers/9/
But if you take the reliefs from Pergamon (Pergamon Reliefs) you also see hilts of conventional Xiphos Swords (''Tafel XLIII and Tafel XLVI)''. The one you can see on the plate ("Tafel XLIII") with the ''cataphract like'' arm armor, parts of horse armor and face mask-helmet (???), would support the conclusion that they used longer blades, because it seems, at least for me, longer than earlier Xiphos blades.
There are also Kopis like swords (''Tafel XLV and Tafel XLVII'') which look in proportion, hilt and blade form very much like this Thracian Sword (Sword ''Seuthes III''). And at least there is one Sword I would assume is of a celtic type (''Tafel XLIV'' on the lower relief). On the upper relief on ''Tafel XLIX'' you can again imagine a sword with these ''three lobed'' pommel, but the picture isn't good enough to be 100% sure.
So it seems that the armys of the hellenistic kingdoms used more than one particular type of sword in the late 3rd to 2nd cen BC. Which isn't surprising there would be an greek, persian, egyptian and at least also celtic/galatian influence in weapon design (if you take the whole hellenistic sphere) and don't forget the Romans.
But there aren't enough sources to come to a more elaborate conclusion about this. At least for me.
There is some evidence for the use of these "three lobed'' pommels and it also seems that they used longer blades, than on previous Xiphos type Swords :
http://dlib.nyu.edu/awdl/isaw/isaw-papers/9/
But if you take the reliefs from Pergamon (Pergamon Reliefs) you also see hilts of conventional Xiphos Swords (''Tafel XLIII and Tafel XLVI)''. The one you can see on the plate ("Tafel XLIII") with the ''cataphract like'' arm armor, parts of horse armor and face mask-helmet (???), would support the conclusion that they used longer blades, because it seems, at least for me, longer than earlier Xiphos blades.
There are also Kopis like swords (''Tafel XLV and Tafel XLVII'') which look in proportion, hilt and blade form very much like this Thracian Sword (Sword ''Seuthes III''). And at least there is one Sword I would assume is of a celtic type (''Tafel XLIV'' on the lower relief). On the upper relief on ''Tafel XLIX'' you can again imagine a sword with these ''three lobed'' pommel, but the picture isn't good enough to be 100% sure.
So it seems that the armys of the hellenistic kingdoms used more than one particular type of sword in the late 3rd to 2nd cen BC. Which isn't surprising there would be an greek, persian, egyptian and at least also celtic/galatian influence in weapon design (if you take the whole hellenistic sphere) and don't forget the Romans.
But there aren't enough sources to come to a more elaborate conclusion about this. At least for me.
