02-12-2017, 03:53 AM
A great many people have referenced this line from Livy's account of the Roman-Macedonian Wars as evidence that the gladius was used as a chopping weapon:
"those who, being always accustomed to fight with Greeks and Illyrians, had only seen wounds made with javelins and arrows, seldom even by lances, came to behold bodies dismembered by the Spanish sword, some with their arms lopped off, with the shoulder or the neck entirely cut through, heads severed from the trunk, and the bowels laid open, with other frightful exhibitions of wounds: they therefore perceived, with horror, against what weapons and what men they were to fight."
This may have been brought up before, but I searched and did not find much. Why does Livy suggest the Macedonians were horrified by the fighting they took part in? There are many textual and archaeological references to all Greeks being perfectly used to chopping each other to bits. At the Battle of the Granicus River, Cleitus the Black took the arm off the Persian knight Spithritades, who was poised to in turn attack the Macedonian king. Macedonian soldiers are recorded as using their swords to slash at elephants' trunks at the Hydaspes River. Pyrrhus of Epirus seems to have been something of a duelist; in single combat in 276 BC, he slew a Mamertine champion straight through the chest. Theban dead at the monument of Chaeronea also suggests slashing weapons - possibly delivered from Macedonian cavalry troopers, possible from infantrymen - was involved in many of their ultimate demises.
Furthermore, the Macedonians, and many Greeks, were likely all very familiar with a weapon arguably more suited to chopping than the gladius: the kopis. It was probably the preferred cavalry sword of more than just Greeks, but also barbarian tribes, and the very similar falcata was held in respect when Romans had to face it.
Is it possible Livy might be wrong?
"those who, being always accustomed to fight with Greeks and Illyrians, had only seen wounds made with javelins and arrows, seldom even by lances, came to behold bodies dismembered by the Spanish sword, some with their arms lopped off, with the shoulder or the neck entirely cut through, heads severed from the trunk, and the bowels laid open, with other frightful exhibitions of wounds: they therefore perceived, with horror, against what weapons and what men they were to fight."
This may have been brought up before, but I searched and did not find much. Why does Livy suggest the Macedonians were horrified by the fighting they took part in? There are many textual and archaeological references to all Greeks being perfectly used to chopping each other to bits. At the Battle of the Granicus River, Cleitus the Black took the arm off the Persian knight Spithritades, who was poised to in turn attack the Macedonian king. Macedonian soldiers are recorded as using their swords to slash at elephants' trunks at the Hydaspes River. Pyrrhus of Epirus seems to have been something of a duelist; in single combat in 276 BC, he slew a Mamertine champion straight through the chest. Theban dead at the monument of Chaeronea also suggests slashing weapons - possibly delivered from Macedonian cavalry troopers, possible from infantrymen - was involved in many of their ultimate demises.
Furthermore, the Macedonians, and many Greeks, were likely all very familiar with a weapon arguably more suited to chopping than the gladius: the kopis. It was probably the preferred cavalry sword of more than just Greeks, but also barbarian tribes, and the very similar falcata was held in respect when Romans had to face it.
Is it possible Livy might be wrong?
