05-26-2015, 08:31 AM
Hi,
I'm new to this forum and have a specific question I'd like some help with please.
I run an historical fencing school in London and associated Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/scholagladiatoria - My primary area of research and knowledge is late-medieval and Victorian swords and swordsmanship, however in recent months I have been going back to some of my earlier interests and trying to expand my knowledge on the arms and armour of earlier periods (I was an archaeologist formerly and have dug Roman, migration era and early-medieval sites). I have also been using my knowledge of 15th and 16th century fighting treatises to try and look at earlier combat system reconstructions, primarily sword and shield and spear and shield (which are covered to a small extent in renaissance treatises such as Achille Marozzo 1536). I have also acquired a sharp Mainz gladius blade from Paul Binns, which I will be getting hilted by my friend Fabrice Cognot, in order to do some test cutting and thrusting alongside other sword types.
Now to the purpose of this thread - for later periods of swords there are published works which provide a good overview of swords of certain periods. What books, journals or websites would you recommend reading for me to get a decent overview of Roman sword development? I know some basics already, but for example I do not know when the Mainz, Fulham or Pompei type gladius started and stopped being used, which hilt types were most common with which blades, how hilt types evolved in different areas over time, or when the spatha became the predominant sword rather than just the cavalry sword in the Roman army. What do I need to read?
Many thanks in advance for your guidance.
Matt
www.fioredeiliberi.org
I'm new to this forum and have a specific question I'd like some help with please.
I run an historical fencing school in London and associated Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/scholagladiatoria - My primary area of research and knowledge is late-medieval and Victorian swords and swordsmanship, however in recent months I have been going back to some of my earlier interests and trying to expand my knowledge on the arms and armour of earlier periods (I was an archaeologist formerly and have dug Roman, migration era and early-medieval sites). I have also been using my knowledge of 15th and 16th century fighting treatises to try and look at earlier combat system reconstructions, primarily sword and shield and spear and shield (which are covered to a small extent in renaissance treatises such as Achille Marozzo 1536). I have also acquired a sharp Mainz gladius blade from Paul Binns, which I will be getting hilted by my friend Fabrice Cognot, in order to do some test cutting and thrusting alongside other sword types.
Now to the purpose of this thread - for later periods of swords there are published works which provide a good overview of swords of certain periods. What books, journals or websites would you recommend reading for me to get a decent overview of Roman sword development? I know some basics already, but for example I do not know when the Mainz, Fulham or Pompei type gladius started and stopped being used, which hilt types were most common with which blades, how hilt types evolved in different areas over time, or when the spatha became the predominant sword rather than just the cavalry sword in the Roman army. What do I need to read?
Many thanks in advance for your guidance.
Matt
www.fioredeiliberi.org
