I'd just like to share this piece of art that I found on the internet. Not sure who the artist is, but I believe he might be Polish. Its an impression of soldiers during Trajan's Dacian Wars.
Yes, they are wonderful paintings. There's a collection of them here (just scroll down the page).
I did once see the artist's name mentioned, but it isn't given on this site or any other I can find now. I'm sure somebody must know, and whether he's produced more.
Yeah, they are great images! One I like is the one 'Defending the Eagle'
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
The artist is definitely eastern European, as Paul says. I remember the name as possibly Russian or Polish. I'm surprised he isn't better known though! The paintings appear to date from the mid 90s, so he must have done more work since.
Maybe he was left handed? How about the idea that the roman soldier moved the sword from right side to the left for pragmatist reasons only? I mean when they adopted the longer spatha it was no longer easy to draw it when your sword-hand was on the same side?
That should not matter Jyrki. Every soldiers used his right hand for the weapon - in a shield wall, you always cover the man on your left with your shield, as you are covered by the man to your right. If the man beside you would have his shield on the right, there would be a gap between you, or two shields covering the same space.
Quote:How about the idea that the roman soldier moved the sword from right side to the left for pragmatist reasons only? I mean when they adopted the longer spatha it was no longer easy to draw it when your sword-hand was on the same side?
I believe that was the theory - wasn't the spatha always on the left side of the cavalryman?
Robert Vermaat MODERATOR FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
In the early-mid 2nd c slide mounted shortswords were still worn on the right. From 200 onwards grave stelae show all swords on the left all of the time (even centurions and decurions). Did earlier cavalrymen routinely carry the spatha on the left, in the principate?
No-one knows when the swap occured, my own guess is when spatha were adopted wholescale in the mid-2nd c.
![[Image: roman-cavalry.jpg]](http://www.aeroartinc.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/r/o/roman-cavalry.jpg)
![[Image: romanarmyinlimesiiiad.jpg]](http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7553/romanarmyinlimesiiiad.jpg)
![[Image: fectio.png]](http://s226.photobucket.com/user/sattuviitana/media/fectio.png.html)
