Early Sica for Comment and Questions

vilhelmsson · 11th March 2019, 12:19 AM

Dear All,

I recently acquired the below knife. I believe it is a Sica. It was sold as a 1st-2nd CE century Celtic-Roman border knife. The bronze inlays closest to the tang is described as and looks like a stylized humanoid figure.

I was wondering if someone knows more about the bronze inlays, or knows more about these knives, or can point me to scholarly research on these knives and scholarly research on the meaning of the bronze inlays?

fernando · 11th March 2019, 10:39 AM

I sincerely hope you get some answers on such extraordinary blade, vilhelmsson

.

vilhelmsson · 11th March 2019, 09:36 PM

Thank you Fernando. It is quite beautiful. But it has a more sinister beauty than I was expecting when I purchased it. Perhaps it is the dark patina, and not its history, that contributes to its sinister aura. But I keep it in a closed cabinet for planned observation, only.

The wikipedia page for the Sica is interesting (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sica), but I'd question why anyone would wield these short blades as a primary weapon when a spear would be cheaper and safer. And when the Romans allege that the Sica is the blade of assassins, I'd assume that's less a measure of the blade's use and more a political measure of what the Romans thought of the peoples associated with the blade.

I also read, though I now forget where, that these blades would be used in themed gladiator matches. But it was always the unlucky fighter who got the Sica because it wasn't as useful as virtually any other weapon.

The bronze inlays make me think that this is less a weapon of war or combat, and more a weapon of ritual or status because a bronze inlay must have been precious to the original owner. And bronze inlays, as the missing pieces indicate, are delicate.

fernando · 11th March 2019, 10:15 PM

Have you visited THIS THREAD ?

Battara · 11th March 2019, 11:16 PM

Uh........Fernando, this link didn't work for me.

vilhelmsson · 12th March 2019, 01:39 AM

It didn't work for me either, but I just dropped the url right in and it worked (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=sica).

Fascinating thread. If my example was a 2nd century Jewish zealot assassin's tool or an unlucky gladiator's weapon, well . . . That's pretty neat.

It would be nice to learn more about the inlay, if possible. But that could just be knowledge we don't have.

fernando · 12th March 2019, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

Uh........Fernando, this link didn't work for me.

Vilhemsson got it right, José. I forgot to delete the default (double) URL that appears when inserting hyperlinks.
It is corrected now.

11th March 2019, 12:19 AM	#1
vilhelmsson Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Bay Area Posts: 57	Early Sica for Comment and Questions Dear All, I recently acquired the below knife. I believe it is a Sica. It was sold as a 1st-2nd CE century Celtic-Roman border knife. The bronze inlays closest to the tang is described as and looks like a stylized humanoid figure. I was wondering if someone knows more about the bronze inlays, or knows more about these knives, or can point me to scholarly research on these knives and scholarly research on the meaning of the bronze inlays? Attached Images

11th March 2019, 10:15 PM	#4
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Have you visited THIS THREAD ? Last edited by fernando; 12th March 2019 at 10:01 AM.

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11th March 2019, 10:39 AM	#2
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	I sincerely hope you get some answers on such extraordinary blade, vilhelmsson .

11th March 2019, 09:36 PM	#3
vilhelmsson Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Bay Area Posts: 57	Thank you Fernando. It is quite beautiful. But it has a more sinister beauty than I was expecting when I purchased it. Perhaps it is the dark patina, and not its history, that contributes to its sinister aura. But I keep it in a closed cabinet for planned observation, only. The wikipedia page for the Sica is interesting (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sica), but I'd question why anyone would wield these short blades as a primary weapon when a spear would be cheaper and safer. And when the Romans allege that the Sica is the blade of assassins, I'd assume that's less a measure of the blade's use and more a political measure of what the Romans thought of the peoples associated with the blade. I also read, though I now forget where, that these blades would be used in themed gladiator matches. But it was always the unlucky fighter who got the Sica because it wasn't as useful as virtually any other weapon. The bronze inlays make me think that this is less a weapon of war or combat, and more a weapon of ritual or status because a bronze inlay must have been precious to the original owner. And bronze inlays, as the missing pieces indicate, are delicate.

11th March 2019, 11:16 PM	#5
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,220	Uh........Fernando, this link didn't work for me.

12th March 2019, 01:39 AM	#6
vilhelmsson Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Bay Area Posts: 57	It didn't work for me either, but I just dropped the url right in and it worked (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=sica). Fascinating thread. If my example was a 2nd century Jewish zealot assassin's tool or an unlucky gladiator's weapon, well . . . That's pretty neat. It would be nice to learn more about the inlay, if possible. But that could just be knowledge we don't have.