book swords is out

[maarten]

The dissertation from Christian Miks about Roman swords came out last week. I received an example on Friday. Its big, beautiful and very good (almost brilliant). A new standard in Roman history.

Miks was able to find almost all swords and sword parts from the Republic to the late Roman empire and classify them. This great work (almost 1500 pages!) kept him busy for about ten years. To my opinion, I would like to see more dissertations of this quality. In the past few days I saw a lot of (to me) unknown beautiful swords in his book.

Although some of the thousands of drawings in the 345 pages (Tafeln) could have been better, most of them give a very good picture of the styles, fashion, and personal decoration on the swords, scabbards, handles etc. Next to the drawings one can find a few hundred pictures of swords and scabbards on monuments throughout the Roman empire. This is a book that is an absolute must have for all Roman re-enactors. Its not cheap (139.80 Euro) but worth every cent.

The book is available through the publisher: www.vml.de
Studien zur Roemischen Schwertbewaffnung in der Kaiserzeit, , Koelner Stdien zur Archeaeologie der Roemischen Provinzen (KSARP) 8. VML Verlag: ISBN 978-3-89646-136-0

Greetings

Maarten

[Virilis]

Thanks Maarten for the info !

I have ordered this book also and I was a bit worried about this purchase. It seems that it was a good deal anyway!!! Oh, I might just faint due to relief 8) ....

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

I have received yet mine, and i'm atonished.

The better comparison with another book is Robinson's Armour of rome, but with a higher degree of scientific rigor. (Even...)

A lot of clear drawings, all at the same style and scale. Blades, scabbards, suspension methods, and a long etc.

And covers not only the early period! A lot of swords from III, IV, V and VI centuries.

I have to say it's a "must to have" book for anybody interested in roman army.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Is it in English? Or are there enought pictures and diagrams wit hmeasurements to make it a good source of the multi-lingual illiterates like myself?

[Marcus Mummius]

Is it in English? Or are there enought pictures and diagrams wit hmeasurements to make it a good source of the multi-lingual illiterates like myself?

No, it's written in German. But I'm sure the scale diagrams will be worth it!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks Jef....something more to drain my coffers LOL :lol:

[Marcus Mummius]

Thanks Jef....something more to drain my coffers LOL :lol:

:lol: This book is at the top of my list too.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Rechnung What is this? :?

[Virilis]

I got this book a week ago. Mildly said it might just blow our "Fulham, Mainz, Pompeii" categories to pieces! Just awesome 8) ...

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

LOL, well I've just ordered it!!
And I would say that can only be a good thing Virilis!!

[Virilis]

LOL, well I've just ordered it!!
And I would say that can only be a good thing Virilis!!

Byron, you`re in for a surprise! It has such an overwhelming information about swords that I feel dizzy! The only downside is that the books are so big that it is almost impossible to read them on bed lyin on your back (which is my favourite position to read...).

And yes, there is indeed one sword that is quite like the Deepeeka one which is on almost every re-enactment group TRY TO AVOID list :wink: ...

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Conal]

Got my copy

As I did French instead of Gereman at school I will be hitting babelfish a lot :? ... however there do seem a lot of swords, mainly in the later centuries, which I had previously assumed were not Roman.

Can anyone give me an incling as to why they are included?

[jho]

It appears that there will be a book an shields from the same series later this year:

Ansgar Nabbefeld, Römische Schilde.Studien zu Funden und bildlichen Überlieferungen vom Ende der Republik bis in die späte Kaiserzeit.
Kölner Studien zur Archäologie der römischen Provinzen, ISSN:0945-2893, Dissertation Universität Köln, 2007, ISBN-13: 978-3-89646-138-4, Erscheinungsort: Rahden/Westf., Erscheinungsjahr: 2008

As I did French instead of German at school I will be hitting babelfish a lot Confused ... however there do seem a lot of swords, mainly in the later centuries, which I had previously assumed were not Roman.

He includes some swords from Germanic bog finds because they are believed to be Roman (due to constructional details such as manufacturer's stamps, inlays, pattern wielding) and some other equipment from the Barbaricum merely for the purpose of illustrating parallel developments outside the Roman world.

The most interesting - and probably controversial (and to me not totally convincing) -argument in the book is that he believes that ALL swords recently identified as late Republican gladius hispaniensis tpyes are in fact La Tene swords of Roman auxiliaries and that Romans used someting in between the later Mainz type and the Spanish antenna swords at this period.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I was informed the first edition was sold out, so am awaiting the reprint! :roll: