Falx is a
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
word originally meaning
sickleA sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crop or cutting grass for hay. The inside of the curve is sharp, so that the user can draw or swing the blade against the base of the crop, catching it in the curve and slicing it at the same time...
, but was later used to mean any of a number of tools that had a curved blade that was sharp on the inside edge such as a
scytheA scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia.- Structure:...
. Falx was also used to mean a
weaponA weapon is a tool used to apply force for the purpose of hunting, attack, self-defense, or defense in combat.Weapons can be as simple as a club, or as complex as an intercontinental ballistic missile, and include those that damage individual or group morale.-Prehistoric weapons:Very simple weapon...
, particularly that of the
ThraciansThrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded on the north by the Balkan Mountains, on the south by the Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea and on the east by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara...
and
DaciaIn ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land in East-Central Europe inhabited by the Dacians. Ancient Greeks called the same people "Getae"...
ns, and later a
siege hookA siege hook is a weapon used to pull stones from a wall during a siege.The Greek historian Polybius, in his Histories, mentions the use of such weapons at the Roman siege of Ambracia:...
used by the Romans themselves.
The Dacian falx came in two sizes: one-handed and two-handed. The shorter variant was called
sica (sickle) in the Dacian language (
Valerius MaximusValerius Maximus was a Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes. He flourished in the reign of Tiberius.-Personal History of Valerius Maximus:...
, III,2.12).
In Latin texts the weapon was described as an
ensis falcatus (whence
falcataThe falcata is a type of sword typical of Pre-Roman Hispania , similar to the Greek kopis or Nepalese kukri.-Name:...
) by
OvidPublius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who wrote about love, seduction, and mythological transformation....
in
Metamorphose or
falx supina by Juvenal in Satiriae.
The two-handed falx was a
pole-armA pole weapon or polearm is a close combat weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is placed on the end of a long shaft, typically of wood, thereby extending the user's effective range. Spears, glaives, poleaxes, halberds, and bardiches are all varieties of polearm...
.
Falx is a
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
word originally meaning
sickleA sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crop or cutting grass for hay. The inside of the curve is sharp, so that the user can draw or swing the blade against the base of the crop, catching it in the curve and slicing it at the same time...
, but was later used to mean any of a number of tools that had a curved blade that was sharp on the inside edge such as a
scytheA scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia.- Structure:...
. Falx was also used to mean a
weaponA weapon is a tool used to apply force for the purpose of hunting, attack, self-defense, or defense in combat.Weapons can be as simple as a club, or as complex as an intercontinental ballistic missile, and include those that damage individual or group morale.-Prehistoric weapons:Very simple weapon...
, particularly that of the
ThraciansThrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded on the north by the Balkan Mountains, on the south by the Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea and on the east by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara...
and
DaciaIn ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land in East-Central Europe inhabited by the Dacians. Ancient Greeks called the same people "Getae"...
ns, and later a
siege hookA siege hook is a weapon used to pull stones from a wall during a siege.The Greek historian Polybius, in his Histories, mentions the use of such weapons at the Roman siege of Ambracia:...
used by the Romans themselves.
Dacian falx
The Dacian falx came in two sizes: one-handed and two-handed. The shorter variant was called
sica (sickle) in the Dacian language (
Valerius MaximusValerius Maximus was a Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes. He flourished in the reign of Tiberius.-Personal History of Valerius Maximus:...
, III,2.12).
In Latin texts the weapon was described as an
ensis falcatus (whence
falcataThe falcata is a type of sword typical of Pre-Roman Hispania , similar to the Greek kopis or Nepalese kukri.-Name:...
) by
OvidPublius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who wrote about love, seduction, and mythological transformation....
in
Metamorphose or
falx supina by Juvenal in Satiriae.
The two-handed falx was a
pole-armA pole weapon or polearm is a close combat weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is placed on the end of a long shaft, typically of wood, thereby extending the user's effective range. Spears, glaives, poleaxes, halberds, and bardiches are all varieties of polearm...
. It consisted of a three-feet long wooden shaft with a long curved iron blade of nearly-equal length attached to the end. The blade was sharpened only on the inside, and was reputed to be devastatingly effective. However, it left its user vulnerable because, being a two-handed weapon, the warrior could not also make use of a shield. It may be imagined that the length of the two-handed falx allowed it to be wielded with great force, the point piercing helmets and the blade splitting shields - it was said to be capable of splitting a shield in two at a single blow. Alternatively, it might used as a hook, pulling away shields and cutting at vulnerable limbs.
Demonstration of a reconstructed falx in use.
The time of the conquest of Dacia by
TrajanMarcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from A. D. 98 until his death in A. D. 117...
is the only known instance of the Roman army adapting personal equipment while on campaign, it seems likely that this was a response to this deadly weapon. Roman legionaries had reinforcing iron straps applied to their helmets - it is clear that these are late modifications because they are roughly applied across existing embossed decoration. Roman armour of the time left limbs unprotected; Trajan introduced the use of leg and arm protectors (
greaveA greave is a piece of armour that protects the leg. Often in matched pairs , greaves may be constructed of materials ranging from padded cloth to steel plate...
s and
manicaLōrīca manica or simply manica was a type of iron or bronze arm guard, with fourteen curved and overlapping metal segments or plates fastened to a leather backing and with four buckles and laces to hold it in place, worn by Roman gladiators called crupellarii, and later by soldiers.-Origins and...
).
Trajan's columnTrajan's Column is a monument in Rome raised in honour of the Roman emperor Trajan and probably constructed under the supervision of the architect Apollodorus of Damascus at the order of the Roman Senate. It is located in Trajan's Forum, built near the Quirinal Hill, north of the Roman Forum...
is a monument to the emperor’s conquest of Dacia. The massive base is covered with reliefs of trophies of Dacian weapons and includes several illustrations of the two-handed falx. The column itself has a helical frieze that tells the story of the Dacian wars. On the frieze, almost all the Dacians that are armed, have shields and therefore cannot be using a two-handed falx. Unfortunately, the exact weapon of those few shown without shields cannot be determined with certainty.
The frieze of Trajan's column also shows Dacians using a smaller, sword sized falx.
Thracian falx
The Thracians also made use of the falx. They also used the
rhomphaiaThe Rhomphaia was a close combat bladed weapon used by the Thracians as early as 400 B.C. It was a variant of the Dacian Falx. Most rhomphaias were polearms, featuring a straight or slightly curved single-edged blade attached to a pole that was considerably longer than the blade. Some rhomphaias...
, a weapon very similar to the two handed falx but much less drastically curved.
Development
The two handed falx is clearly related to the Thracian
rhomphaiaThe Rhomphaia was a close combat bladed weapon used by the Thracians as early as 400 B.C. It was a variant of the Dacian Falx. Most rhomphaias were polearms, featuring a straight or slightly curved single-edged blade attached to a pole that was considerably longer than the blade. Some rhomphaias...
. It is a derivative of both the sword and the spear, having evolved from a spear to a polearm before becoming more drastically curved to facilitate a superior cutting action. This drastic curve rendered the falx as a purely offensive weapon to be used against a broken or routing force. Typically, an enemy would be broken by a sustained hail of missile fire from javelin, dart, bow, sling, and stone throwing troops before being chased down and cut to pieces by the falx wielding troops.
It is tempting to imagine that the two-handed falx was somehow developed from the
scytheA scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia.- Structure:...
, perhaps starting as an improvised weapon developing in a manner analogous to that of the
bill-gisarmeThe bill is a polearm used by infantry in Europe in the Viking Age by Vikings and Anglo-Saxons as well as in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. It was a national weapon of the English, but was also common elsewhere, especially in Italy....
. However, this is not possible: the scythe first appeared during the 12th and 13th centuries. It is, perhaps, possible that the single-handed falx developed from the
sickleA sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crop or cutting grass for hay. The inside of the curve is sharp, so that the user can draw or swing the blade against the base of the crop, catching it in the curve and slicing it at the same time...
, although agricultural sickles of the time were typically quite small - no more than 30 cm or so in length.
At the time of the Dacian wars, producing a long, sharp blade was technically challenging. As such, it might be that the two-handed falx was a high-status weapon and used only by the best warriors.
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