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- May 16, 2002
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- 4,437
...back, called "Warfare in the Classical World" by John Warry. Good stuff! Got it for 12.98 USD at the local Barnes&Nobles, as mentioned by the recommender (couldn't find that original thread...)
There are many mentions of the kopis or kopsh (as Burton sometimes calls it), which is an ancient forerunner of the Khukuri and Sossun Pata. It was used as early as 500 BC by Greek Hoplites as an alternative to the double-edged standard-issue Greek Hoplite sword.
To quote, page 34, Hoplite Panoply inset: "He carries an alternative to the normal hoplite sword - The Kopis, a heavy slashing sword." In the pic, the Kopis even has the sword of shiva-ish design on the blade.
Also this, on page 103, the section "Romes early foes in Italy", subsection "Italian Swords"---"The curved slashing sword (called Kopis in Greek and described as Falcata in Latin) probably originated in Etruria." This is circa 350 BC...I think Falcata must be the latin root for the later "Falchion", a short heavy sword, normally a single-edge slasher.
The Book's index is a bit off, mostly tied to place names and well known leaders, No index entries it seems for weapon names or tribes discussed, such as the Scythians, who are a min tribe discussrd in the first three chapters. Still a steal for $13 lucky dollars!
4 stars outta five, coming from a historian that's something.
Keith
En Ferro Veritas
There are many mentions of the kopis or kopsh (as Burton sometimes calls it), which is an ancient forerunner of the Khukuri and Sossun Pata. It was used as early as 500 BC by Greek Hoplites as an alternative to the double-edged standard-issue Greek Hoplite sword.
To quote, page 34, Hoplite Panoply inset: "He carries an alternative to the normal hoplite sword - The Kopis, a heavy slashing sword." In the pic, the Kopis even has the sword of shiva-ish design on the blade.
Also this, on page 103, the section "Romes early foes in Italy", subsection "Italian Swords"---"The curved slashing sword (called Kopis in Greek and described as Falcata in Latin) probably originated in Etruria." This is circa 350 BC...I think Falcata must be the latin root for the later "Falchion", a short heavy sword, normally a single-edge slasher.
The Book's index is a bit off, mostly tied to place names and well known leaders, No index entries it seems for weapon names or tribes discussed, such as the Scythians, who are a min tribe discussrd in the first three chapters. Still a steal for $13 lucky dollars!
4 stars outta five, coming from a historian that's something.
Keith
En Ferro Veritas
