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| Art by TL Jeffcoat |
There is much confusion about this mysterious weapon. It’s
only known to have been used regularly by gladiators and history is unclear
whether the word Scissor refers to the weapon or the style of gladiator. Some
historians believe that it is the name of both; some deny the name to either.
The Scissor was a simple weapon in design, with an iron tube
and a handle inside topped with a crescent shaped blade. The handle allowed the
Gladiator better control of the blade that faced away from the tube and was
mounted by a metal shaft. The shaft was most likely attached to the handle,
through the top of the tube, to enhance its durability and control. There is
some speculation to this, but most weapon specializing historians would agree
that the blade would need to be attached to the handle and not just attached to
the tube itself or the blade would be impossible to manage when it’s struck by
another weapon.
The tube protected the forearm and the hooked corners of
the blade were capable of cutting nets that might trap the gladiator. They also
made fatal counterstrikes for back hand swings that followed a block. The blade
was sharp all along the outer loop and the points so that it could be used to
swipe or stab at an opponent.
The weapon acted as an extension of the arm so it would
not have required too much training to master it. This is a very important note
for Gladiators, who often did not live long enough to master the more complex
weapons.
I hope you enjoyed this edition
of Weapons and Warriors, click here to view the entire catalog of weapons
and cultures. Thank you, see you next week.
First to say first! Also, how was it used?
ReplyDeleteBy that I mean, could it be used against a shielded opponent? Maybe against a khopesh?
ReplyDeleteDepending on the size of the shield, it might not be as effective against a shielded opponent unless the gladiator could get close enough to reach around it, but that would put himself in danger as well I would think.
ReplyDeleteAgainst a Khopesh? It might work better. The Scissor might be able to hook at the curves in the blade and protect the gladiator from attacks using the tube as a shield.
Gladiators didn't usually wear much armor, and often used spears or short straight bladed swords, which gave the Scissor better chances for a fighter that was more accustomed to a street fight than a battlefield to survive a bit longer.