Bones of Leper Warrior Found in Medieval Cemetery (Italy, 500-700 AD)

Live Science ^ | April 9, 2011 | Unknown

[Antoninus]

There were no Lombards or Avars resident in Italy during the time of the Roman reconquest in the early 6th century, except those who were used as mercenaries by the Romans themselves. The Ostrogoths ruled Italy at that time.

This article makes it sound like these brave Lombards and Avars were defending their homes from invading Byzantines when it is well-documented in the historical sources that the Lombards were the invaders and the Romans mostly took it on the chin--badly--to the point that the Lombards controlled nearly the entire peninsula by 700 AD.

[bunkerhill7]

War is a dirty business but this guy was unclean.

[TigersEye]

Here is a collection of Byzantine maces and war axes.

Byzantine Roman Collection

The war mace, already used from the Late Roman Army at least since the 3rd century AD, composed by a wooden shaft and a metallic head, was transformed in the middle age of Byzantium as the favorite weapon of the heavy armed cavalryman, used with devastating effects on the battlefields.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, that’s a lot better than the first idea for a response I came up with, which involved Sam Kinison, and couldn’t be posted. ;’)

[heye2monn]

Medieval brain surgery? Wow.

[wildbill]

And if you made him laugh, he’d be in stitches.

[Salamander]

It was already like that when I found it, I swear!

:)

[Antoninus]

Here is a collection of Byzantine maces and war axes.

How interesting. Thanks for the link!

I have never encountered a mention of Roman war maces in the documentary sources before the 7th century. Of course, axes are attested in pre-Byzantine Roman sources, but not as standard military issue from what I've seen. Based on the site you linked to, I have to assume they were still uncommon before the 7th century, though not non-existent. They seemed to be much more prevalent among the Germanic auxiliaries which would make sense.

[Argus]

Right you are.

[TigersEye]

I like the diversity in style in their implements of destruction. There is no reason that art and war should be mutually exclusive endeavors. But then the world has lost a lot in aesthetic appreciation across the board not just in armor and weaponry.

[neverdem]

bump & a micro ping

[Antoninus]

I like the diversity in style in their implements of destruction. There is no reason that art and war should be mutually exclusive endeavors. But then the world has lost a lot in aesthetic appreciation across the board not just in armor and weaponry.

Have you ever been to the Philadelphia Museum of Art?

Arms and Armor Collection

[TigersEye]

Unfortunately no. It's too far away and not a city I would care to visit today. But thanks for the link I have no problem perusing their website. Lots of cool stuff there.

Technology is great, I'm no Luddite, but the end of the ages of hand crafting by an artisan seems an unfortunate effect of progress. A loss of some beauty at any rate.

[colorado tanker]

Mauseleum of Theodoric, Ostrogoth King, 525 AD.

[Antoninus]

If FR had a “like” button, I’d click it under that photo.

[colorado tanker]

I found Ravenna a very special place to visit.

[SunkenCiv]

That structure’s interesting because the roof is basically one giant stone, probably the largest ever used in construction in Italy, and maybe anywhere. The Romans quarried some single-piece 200 ton columns in Egypt and transported them by ship to Rome for some temples, that’s the only things that come close.

[SunkenCiv]

Oh, the Baalbek stones are much bigger than this, and technically they’ve *been* used in construction, but their original purpose remains unknown, and they’ve had stuff built on top of them, I mean, wth else are ya gonna do with ‘em?

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[colorado tanker]

Those Ostrogoths had stones, all right.