New Blood

[Spâtha]

Just found the forum, and of course joined up.
Hello to you all and best wishes. I hope my stay here is filled with entertainment and enjoyment. And, if a tiny bit of knowledge seeps thru this thick head of mine, well, that will be a plus.

I used to chide and chuckle at William F. Buckley. Partly because of his demeanor and partly because I thought I was going to save the world, singlehandedly!

Then one day in the 70s, his ramblings began to make sense to me. I began to hear the truth of what he was going on about.
It was then I realized that I was a Conservative, not just a Republican or a Libertarian, but a Conservative.

I sure miss WFB.

Here's to many days and nights of thoughtful, provocative, non-PC discussion! Cheers!:D

[ilovelucy]

Jump in/:D

and welcome

So, do you happen to write p-o-e....

never mind/

Just do visit the Gallery. It is a sort of oasis in the storm sometimes/ That and food and the Inferno/

[THE Gypsy]

Jump in/:D

and welcome

So, do you happen to write p-o-e....

never mind/

Just do visit the Gallery. It is a sort of oasis in the storm sometimes/ That and food and the Inferno/


:laff:

[ilovelucy]

Did we scare him away?

[ColonialMarine0431]

Saw Bean's picture I bet.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/ColonialMarine/ugly.jpg

[BeanZ]

Just found the forum, and of course joined up.
Hello to you all and best wishes. I hope my stay here is filled with entertainment and enjoyment. And, if a tiny bit of knowledge seeps thru this thick head of mine, well, that will be a plus.

I used to chide and chuckle at William F. Buckley. Partly because of his demeanor and partly because I thought I was going to save the world, singlehandedly!

Then one day in the 70s, his ramblings began to make sense to me. I began to hear the truth of what he was going on about.
It was then I realized that I was a Conservative, not just a Republican or a Libertarian, but a Conservative.

I sure miss WFB.

Here's to many days and nights of thoughtful, provocative, non-PC discussion! Cheers!:D


Welcome mate.

Assholes to the left;

Adult ALes and babes to greet with NoPC welcoming committee to right.

If you go right. THe rewards are aplenty.

:D

http://www.student.chula.ac.th/%7E50458356/image/sparta003.jpg

[BeanZ]

Saw Bean's picture I bet.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/ColonialMarine/ugly.jpg


How did you get it. Me mum said she disposed of it. :rotflmao:


DO you know how it feels to take 7 hours to eat corn on the cob...


:D

[Whiskey4bfast]

Just found the forum, and of course joined up.
Hello to you all and best wishes. I hope my stay here is filled with entertainment and enjoyment. And, if a tiny bit of knowledge seeps thru this thick head of mine, well, that will be a plus.

I used to chide and chuckle at William F. Buckley. Partly because of his demeanor and partly because I thought I was going to save the world, singlehandedly!

Then one day in the 70s, his ramblings began to make sense to me. I began to hear the truth of what he was going on about.
It was then I realized that I was a Conservative, not just a Republican or a Libertarian, but a Conservative.

I sure miss WFB.

Here's to many days and nights of thoughtful, provocative, non-PC discussion! Cheers!:DI subscribed to Nat Review in VN. Everyone thught I was nuts. I couldn't wait to get back to base camp and PO to get my copies of NR (and WFB) and Nat Lampoon :D

[Spâtha]

Did we scare him away?
Not a chance!
Just busy...:D

[Spâtha]

Welcome mate.

Assholes to the left;

Adult ALes and babes to greet with NoPC welcoming committee to right.

If you go right. THe rewards are aplenty.

:D

http://www.student.chula.ac.th/%7E50458356/image/sparta003.jpg
Thanks mate!
The battle sword that Leonidas is carrying in this picture is a Spâtha.:D

[Observer]

Actually, THIS is a spatha.

http://armillum.com/tienda/images/DEEPEEKA/spathaIV.jpg

THIS is a movie prop.

http://www.lordrinja.com/shopphotos/Swords/300_kingleonidassword.jpg

[Spâtha]

Well, ACTUALLY, friend, Spatha is the name given to any number of swords in ancient times.

I wonder if your intent was to criticize me and my screen name? or, were you so concerned about my identification of the sword that you were just trying to be politically correct with your critical identification of ancient weaponry?

And you sir are a Master Blademaker? A student of ancient history? Of ancient Sparta perhaps?

Roman Spathas (http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryEquipment-Attack.html)

Spartan Spathas
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/highdesert/ah4111br1.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/highdesert/ah21031.jpg

[Observer]

Well, ACTUALLY, friend, Spatha is the name given to any number of swords in ancient times.

Perhaps, but it is PROPERLY applied to a sword with a blade of a specific length and shape.

I wonder if your intent was to criticize me and my screen name?

Not at all. As a matter of fact, I think you chose a good username.

or, were you so concerned about my identification of the sword that you were just trying to be politically correct with your critical identification of ancient weaponry?

Politically correct... No.

Historically correct... Yes.

And you sir are a Master Blademaker?

No.

A student of ancient history? Of ancient Sparta perhaps?

Somewhat, but I think it would be more accurate to refer to me as a student of hoplology.

Spartan Spathas
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/highdesert/ah4111br1.jpg

The sword pictured above is not a Spatha. It is a replica of a Kopis, a predecessor of the rather fearsome Falcata.


http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/highdesert/ah21031.jpg[/quote]

That sword is more in line with what was probably carried by the Spartans at Thermopylae, although that design looks more Lakonian than Spartan.

The sword most likely used by Leonidas was a Xiphos, 19 to 25 inches long, with a leaf shaped blade similar to the one you posted above. It would have been his secondary weapon... a spear being the primary.

The Spatha did not really come into common use as an Infantry sword until about 500 years after Leonidas was killed. It was longer than the Xiphos, with a straight blade, generally about 29 inches long. It was originally a cavalry sword (hence the extra length) which eventually became popular among infantrymen. Among the Romans, it eventually almost completely replaced the Gladius.

Welcome to the forum.

[Spâtha]

I have made a few swords. Nothing that I care to exhibit as 'master craftsmanship', but solid, functional swords nonetheless.
And I have been somewhat of a student of ancient weaponry.

What I have discovered in my research over the years, is that many ancient weapons were found in unexpected places and were given an identification because of their shape or their length or the culture that used them.

According to Answers.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/spatha), and several other encyclopedic sources of ancient lexicon, and, believe it or not, some words were used far earlier than Roman times to describe weapons, and some meanings for items became 'appropriated' by local custom and culture.

For example:
Spatha -

Etymology

The word derives from Ancient Greek (http://www.nopc.info/topic/ancient-greek-2) σπάθη (spathe), "any broad blade, of wood or metal" but also "broad blade of a sword".[1] (http://www.nopc.info/forum/#wp-_note-0)

(Most possible is that spatha is the Romanization of the Doric Greek (http://www.nopc.info/topic/doric-greek) *σπάθα spatha)

The word remains today as Greek σπάθη (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%83%CF%80%CE%AC%CE%B8%CE%B7) (spathe), fem. and σπαθί (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%83%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%B8%CE%AF) (spathi), neut.;

The Latin word became French épée (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%C3%A9p%C3%A9e), Portuguese and Spanish espada (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/espada), Italian spada (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spada), and Albanian shpata (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shpata) all meaning "sword".As you have said the Spatha was a secondary weapon, used only during close quarters combat.
And, King Leonidas may well have used a Xiphos instead of the Spatha. But I wasn't there.

The Falcata was one Roman version of the Spatha as you have said.
And many other swords carried similar names and were just as lethal at close quarters.

But, I must admit, it is surprising that I must defend myself about the correctness of the name or the weapon.
Thank you for the welcome, but I feel as if, 'the bloom has been taken off the rose' as it were...

[stealthy]

Don't sweat it, do your own thing, state your own opinion and let the chips fall. Honesty is the best policy always. You will be questioned, folks will try to gauge who you are. Really a great bunch here. :)

[BeanZ]

I have made a few swords. Nothing that I care to exhibit as 'master craftsmanship', but solid, functional swords nonetheless.
And I have been somewhat of a student of ancient weaponry.

What I have discovered in my research over the years, is that many ancient weapons were found in unexpected places and were given an identification because of their shape or their length or the culture that used them.

According to Answers.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/spatha), and several other encyclopedic sources of ancient lexicon, and, believe it or not, some words were used far earlier than Roman times to describe weapons, and some meanings for items became 'appropriated' by local custom and culture.

For example:
As you have said the Spatha was a secondary weapon, used only during close quarters combat.
And, King Leonidas may well have used a Xiphos instead of the Spatha. But I wasn't there.

The Falcata was one Roman version of the Spatha as you have said.
And many other swords carried similar names and were just as lethal at close quarters.

But, I must admit, it is surprising that I must defend myself about the correctness of the name or the weapon.
Thank you for the welcome, but I feel as if, 'the bloom has been taken off the rose' as it were...


Not t'all mate.

Its a forum.

Unless you were lurking here for awhile before you signed on and dove right in per se - and good on you the way you did.

I rather like the nick as well.

But it is a wiley bunch that as anywhere, tHere is not a true consensus on everything but on some things there is the side of right, and just and I do think in correcting the record historically even down to the lineage was Obs
' way of welcoming you.

Youll certainly stumble across the dead weight here that pretty much will take you about 15 posts to realize their dementia and dhimmitude before your frustration bear out that THEY defy sanity and logic and then... perhaps, ill roll with

The rose is off the bloom.

Good luck out there SPatha. Into the midst of the abyss and the depths of NoPC - swim around - THe waters are murky and chilly but if patient, the fishing is good for good souls around in the waters too.

Just so you know - the nurse sharks of dhimmiland are incandescent pink and pretty easy to spot.... ;)

[Observer]

I can't control what you feel.

I can however, point out inaccuracies in the information you post, as I would expect you to do with me.

I am well aware of the etymology of the word "Spatha". I am also well aware of how the word is actually used. Spatha is not in common use as a generic term for Greek swords, at least not among those who study weapon development. Spatha refers to a specific type of sword.

The Falcata was the Iberian decendant of the Kopis, not the Spatha.

There is little doubt that Leonidas would have carried a Xiphos. That was the prevailing sword of Spartan Infantry during the period in which he lived.

And... No matter how you slice it, this is still a movie prop.

http://www.lordrinja.com/shopphotos/Swords/300_kingleonidassword.jpg

[Observer]

By the way...

Making your own swords has got to be an incredibly satisfying experience. I have considered venturing into that from time to time, but I am afraid I am much better at breaking things than creating them.

I would love to see some of your work if you feel comfortable posting photos of them.

[Whiskey4bfast]

A nice "sword" blade. Similar to a very cool knife I have.

http://primitiveedge.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/DSC_0081.46150726_std.JPG