5th - 6th Century AD roman maces?

[Fhyn]

Greetings folks.

I am guessing they were used, but having a hard time nailing it down, that they actually were used, or finding archaelogy finds of them.

Found some for Byzantium, but not for Late Roman western.

I would like to see if anyone knows how rare or common they would of been used during this time. Trying to put a kit together for reenactment, and well have always loved maces, so would like to use one in this also, along with my kits for later period kits I have.

Thanks for any help.

[Theodosius the Great]

Hello John,

Well, a mace is just a club and there's one depicted on a gravestone from the early third century AD - that of Aurelius Alexianus. You can find a picture of it in Osprey's 'Imperial Roman Legionary, AD 161 -284', written by our own Ross Cowan. The club may be called a 'fustis'.

I remember reading that the Romans used wooden clubs as anti-cataphract weapons. Since cataphracts survived into the 5th and 6th centuries (and beyond) I would bet that clubs were still used.

What kind of kit are you putting together ? Infantry or cavalry ?

~Theo

[Virtus Probi Invicti]

Zozimus' discussion of Aurelian's Palmyrene War contains some passages that might be of interest to you. My copy of this history was translated by GJ Vossius, of whom I know nothing...this book is an English edition from 1814 (an absolute steal on eBay for $5).
In a rundown of Aurelian's forces present at the battle of Emesa, Zosimus mentions that "the Palestinians, besides other arms, [were] wielding clubs and staves." Soon after that, Zosimus discusses the rout of the Palmyrene cavalry by the Roman infantry after the former had slaughtered much of the Roman cavalry. The Palmyrenes had fallen out of order, and the Roman infantry attacked at this choice moment. "Upon which many [Palmyrenes] were killed, because the one side fought with the usual weapons, while those of Palestine brought clubs and staves against coats of mail made of iron and brass. The Palmyrenes therefore ran away with the utmost precipitation..."
My volume does not contain the original Greek text, so I have no idea what terms were actually used for "clubs" and "staves". It is interesting that it is troops from part of the "frontier" with the Sasanids that are describes as using mace-like weapons...it makes some sense that they would adopt a type of weapon that would be effective against and feared by heavily armored horsemen.