07-20-2006, 02:46 PM
Some say a tunic, some say linked maille, but the last picture does look like it couldn't be anything other than scale of some sort. What was it made of? There's no way to tell from that relief.
As for the tunic, I'm no expert, but I have never seen any gladiators wearing tunicae in mosaics, sculptures, or other depictions. So I would agree that the Scissor wearing the shirt is probably wearing plain old linked maille. That round knife, if like a modern equivalent, which it most likely is, is a leather slicing knife. You can still buy them, sometimes called a "head knife", and they are like a very large, curved razor. Don't let an angry person get to your abdomen with one of those, or you'll be disemboweled pretty quickly.
And round maille would repel a trident for the most part. That would make a very formidable opponent for a retarius. But for whatever reason, the Scissor seems to be an early style that was discarded when the "rules" got settled down to primarily the main four or five types.
Am I on the right track?
As for the tunic, I'm no expert, but I have never seen any gladiators wearing tunicae in mosaics, sculptures, or other depictions. So I would agree that the Scissor wearing the shirt is probably wearing plain old linked maille. That round knife, if like a modern equivalent, which it most likely is, is a leather slicing knife. You can still buy them, sometimes called a "head knife", and they are like a very large, curved razor. Don't let an angry person get to your abdomen with one of those, or you'll be disemboweled pretty quickly.
And round maille would repel a trident for the most part. That would make a very formidable opponent for a retarius. But for whatever reason, the Scissor seems to be an early style that was discarded when the "rules" got settled down to primarily the main four or five types.
Am I on the right track?
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
