difference between falcata and kopis?

[rogue_artist]

Im sure many of you are groaning at this ignorant simple question... but hey, I want to know!

What is the difference between a Falcata and a Kopis?

thank you,
-Jason

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Among other discussions this short one explains many things briefly
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... opisKhaire
Giannis

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Im sure many of you are groaning at this ignorant simple question... but hey, I want to know!

What is the difference between a Falcata and a Kopis?

thank you,
-Jason

One starts with an 'F' and the other a 'K'! P Boom boom!

Sorry, couldn't help myself..... :oops:

[M. Demetrius]

Spank yourself, GJC! :lol:
Good one.

The short, simple and incomplete answer is that a kopis usually has more of an acute angle to the "bend" than a falcata...and Egyptian the kopis had the sharpened edge on the long curve. Or else I'm totally wrong.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

It depends who you ask. Some people call the simple,incomplete answers wrong :roll: Anyway,i don't think the answer is this,because the difference is in the details and there are so many variations that for someone it's better to go through that mass of posts and info to make an opinion...
However shall I point out that the fact the one is called a "Kopis" and the other a "Falcata" is a big enough difference,wouldn't you all agree?
Khairete
Giannis

[rogue_artist]

However shall I point out that the fact the one is called a "Kopis" and the other a "Falcata" is a big enough difference,wouldn't you all agree?
Khairete
Giannis

Okay but what IS the difference, other than the words?? The post you referred to did not explain anything.

Are they the same thing, just two different country's words?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

That is what I always assumed, but I guess there are enough differences in the regional versons to qualify a different classification, apparently?
To me I can see only variations of the same thing, but I am not an expert....sorry for being so flippant, and also not of much help in answering your question.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

OK,it is not a doferent word for the same thing,it's the same thing evolved in different cultures. Thus it is natural there are some stylistic differences between the two. In decoration,in general shape,in lenght,some times,in scabards...
Did they both come from the same shord? It is plausible but yet again,there were one edged shords in Spain and in Mycenean Greece.And also in Asia they used a variation of it. Most probable is that the idea of one edged,slightly curved shords pre-existed in both cultures,Iberian and Greek,and through through some type of contact,say through merchants,through the Greek colonists in Italy and Spain(?) they produced a hybrid. But it is normal that they both constructed them using their own pre-existed traditions,and certainly fashion is something that can't be forgotten. As you read in the other thread,the word "falcata" is not ancient,and in latin texts they use the greek words, "machaera" and "copis". But machaira in greek is a generic term for curved one edged big knife,this includes any variation of any culture,Iberian,Italian or Greek. The word "kopis" is used only for a spesific classical-hellenistic sword as the greeks used it.
To give an example,there is another thread around at this time, "falcata hafting" I think, where you see many drawings of Iberian style grips. These motifs are not Greek and as someone said they were inlayed silver,something I have never heard in greek kopides.
As david said,the falcata is usually more curved than the greek kopides,but the examples found are so many that one cannot call this a rule. Some times the greek kopides are streight with no curve in the unsharpened edge.
Some falcatas found in Italy are very long and extremely thin,compared to the shorter and thicker greek examples.
Would you call these swords the same thing? Well,it depends how simplisticly you want to speak. You can certainly say they look very much alike,and that they do the same job!
Khaire
Giannis

[rogue_artist]

Ah! I see now, okay. thanks!

[Timotheus]

Is not falcata a modern term to describe what at best we can call a Hispanian saber? While kopis is a more ancient term used to describe an actual weapon?

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

As I said in my post above:

As you read in the other thread,the word "falcata" is not ancient,and in latin texts they use the greek words, "machaera" and "copis". But machaira in greek is a generic term for curved one edged big knife,this includes any variation of any culture,Iberian,Italian or Greek. The word "kopis" is used only for a spesific classical-hellenistic sword as the greeks used

Khaire
Giannis

[Timotheus]

What is the blade on a kopis like? A falcata does not really have an edge. the entire blade is a wedge shape, basically a very long thin triangle.

If a kopis is like more common weapons where it has a obvious sharpened edge to it then that would be a huge difference between the two weapons and make them similar in only the basic shape.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Nope,the kopis doesn't have a distinctive edges,neither any other greek blade that I've seen.