A tradition of swords existed throughout Constantinople’s history as a Christian Empire that very closely emulated the slender and long styles of swords of their Persian neighbours. The Hoffmeyer Typology lists examples at numbers 11 & 28 – 31.These swords tend towards a lenticular or pillow cross section and came in single and double edged varieties. More often that not they had parallel edges for most of the blade’s length.
Frequently the swords had a metal cross guard, but either no pommel, or an organic pommel, but in either case it is likely the pommel was a continuous part of the wood of the handle.
In other cases the swords featured copper alloy cross guards with sleeves which extended down the blade, which would enclose the mouth of the scabbard, thereby precluding rain from entering, and a grip and pommel that were attached with rivets. This method of construction extended to other types of Byzantine Swords.
This sword find from the Serce Limani shipwreck has previously been designated as Islamic in origin, but has now been confirmed as Byzantine and corroborated with contemporary pictorial evidence by Professor Valeri Yotov.It features a lenticular blade form, most of which is lost, and shows the Byzantine custom of a sleeve like projection running down the blade. It too is attached to the blade by way of rivets.
Below are accurate measurements of the find for interested parties (for some reason measurements are given in metres):
From: Serçe Limanı: An Eleventh-century Shipwreck, Volume 2:
WP 64. Bronze sword hilt and scabbard fragment.
Inv. No. GW 56 [Lot 251] P6 UL4-LL2.
Figs. 21-4, 21-15, and 21-16.
Length 0.25; length of hilt 0.17; length of pommel 0.0265; pommel diameter 0.03 (crown), 0.044 (max), 0.027 (base); pommel crown thickness 0.001; pommel wall thickness 0.002-0.003; lanyard ring diameter 0.0095-0.013 (outside), 0.0035-0.005 (inside); ring wall thickness 0.0035; grip length 0.0815 (overall), 0.0195 (upper section), 0.0185 (middle section, 0.0175 (lower section); tripartite bands (4): 0.028 (diameter), 0.0065 (width); grip diameter 0.025; grip wall thickness 0.002; length of guard 0.058 (to blade), 0.062 (to quillon tips); guard width 0.071 (upper flanges), 0.076 (middle flanges), 0.07 (lower flanges); guard thickness 0.26 (at écusson), 0.024 (at blade); length of quillon 0.034 (upper left and right flanges), 0.49 (middle right flange), 0.05 (middle left flange), 0.067 (lower left and right flanges); quillon width 0.018-0.003 (upper left and right flanges, shoulder to tip), 0.02-0.003 (middle left and right flanges, shoulder to tip), 0.021-0.003 (lower left and right flanges, shoulder to tip); quillon thickness 0.009-0.002 (upper left flange, max. to tip), 0.01-0.002 (upper right flange, max. to tip), 0.008-0.002 (lower left and right flanges, max. to tip); distance rivets from écusson (obverse and reverse), 0.018 (lower), 0.045 (upper); diameter of rivets : 0.043-0.005 (heads), 0.004 (shafts). Bronze sword hilt and concreted remains of scabbard throat. Pommel circular in section. Pommel crown formed by integrally cast disk. Upper pommel surface fluted with 24 channels. Channels elliptical in section, 0.001 deep, width tapering from 0.006 (base) to 0.004 (crown); arrises 0.001 (height), 0.002 (width) (base). Integrally cast lanyard ring 0.01 from pommel crown, 0.01 from pommel base; ring edge length on pommel surface 0.0065. Ring perpendicular to, but aligned on, reverse, longitudinal, medial axis of hilt. Bronze wire loop passes through ring; loop diameter 0.016-0.0195 (outside), 0.011 (inside), loop wall thickness 0.002-0.0025; wire ends overlap 0.008. Pommel terminates in recessed section of cavetto molding tapering to grip. Juncture pommel/grip circumscribed by narrow tripartite band; 2 identical bands divide grip length into three segments; fourth band marks juncture grip/guard. Grip polygonally circular in section. Each grip segment composed of 13 rectangular facets: 0.004-0.006 x 0.0195 (upper segment), 0.004-0.006 x 0.0185 (middle segment), 0.004-0.006 x 0.0175 (lower segment). Below grip, écusson defined by rectangular cowl: length 0.036 (obverse), 0.035 (reverse); width 0.012. Cowl spreads over middle of engaged quillons, which curve and taper down and out, forming flanged arch of guard. Convex lunettes, height 0.046, span 0.06, thickness 0.0045 (obverse and reverse), defined by interior arcs of quillons and closed by narrow bands decorated with pearl motif interposed between horizontally parallel ridges. Each lunette embellished at center with rondelle, 0.038-0.045 in diameter, containing openwork representation or ornately plumed bird, and at corners by foliate designs similar to those on quillons and cowl. Blade originally hafted with single through-rivet in each of 2 lower grip segments. Rivets aligned along obverse/reverse longitudinal, medial axis. Blade not preserved. Scabbard throat completely concreted, length 0.088, width 0.068, thickness 0.024 (exterior), 0.0035-0.0075 (shell). Remains of wooden scabbard lining indicates blade was lenticular in section, double-edged, 0.035 in width, and 0.006 thick at ricasso.
This is an example of style that was popular in Byzantine in various forms, which featured a square pommel, the square sitting on its corner rather than sitting on its side:
The pommel on this sword is somewhat like a flower bud:
The ‘Spanish’ style of hilt is represented in Byzantine Art, but who influenced whom remains a mystery.
This sword below features the Spanish style of hilt, but this style of blade may or may not have enjoyed contemporary use, or may have been artistic license. Raeffele D’Amato believes forward curved swords were in use in a period continuous from antiquity.
An example of a very large, almost Claymore-like, Byzantine Sword:
This Serbian Warrior Saint is equipped in the Byzantine fashion, the ikon comes from the late Byzatine period.
This fresco, referenced in part above, shows both a beautiful example of a Spathion and a Paramerion.
This image appears to show a Byzantine Sword like the Serci Limani shipwreck example:
A slender, compact cruciform sword from the late Byzantine Period.
[…] The types of Byzantine swords. […]
A few comments:
1. I thought the Serce Limani shipwreck sword was Avar/Bulgar? It matches Steppe typologies. Even if it is Roman the sword is made in the Pontic style.
2. The Paramerion sabre is widely believed to have evolved out of the narrow langseax. These first appear when the Huns introduce them in the D2 period and have typically a 47.5-63cm blade. Pouan is probably the most famous example of one. Later, in the Avar period, they have longer, 80cm (Spatha-length) blades. Then there’s a slight gap until the first sabres appear. The sabre may have even been a Roman improvement, although they begin to appear simultaneously in the Empire and in Central Asian art during the 8th century.
Otherwise, great article. Definitely an overlooked topic.
Actualy I am not the author.
Glad you liked my thread on Byzantine Swords George! Please do come over to SwordSite and join in, we love Byzantine Sword fans! I’ve also continued the thread, so there are plenty more images of swords available! Thank you also for referencing me!
http://www,sword-site.com
Kind Regards,
Bill Blake
http://www.alaeswords.com
Dear Bill,
I am really thank you, as descendant of Byzantine family, I am trying to share with more people this magnificent world, the Byzantine. I like your article but I did not know your name until now, so I am going to write that the author is you. You can share everything you want from my blog to your page.
If you like see my page also in fb :
https://www.facebook.com/MesaionikeSpathaskia?ref=hl
Also I have a team and I teach German style to them. I am member also of Koryvantes and I teach them ancient Greek warfare and Byzantine. Take a look pls:
Yours
George E.Georgas
Thank you George! I’m of English descent, but a great admirer of the Byzantines! I’ve been watching your blog for a while and really like it! Please do feel welcome, and your team also at http://www.sword-site.com
We’d love to see you guys over there! Also I will add your facebook page! Thank you so much!
I just join with name Vettius 🙂
I thank you Bill, we can talk for many matters:)
wonderful blog and site, and thanks for all the content. I have friends in Greece working in accurate recreation of the later Byzantines–14th century and the like–and this was fantastic.
Hello dear friend for your comments. Can you give me more informations about them please? To contact with them?
Thank you very much
look hier, this is my This is my reconstruction of byzantine sword from excavation… https://www.f acebook.com/photo.php?fbid=484299328285673&set=t.1326994873&type=3&theater
You know, some of those remind of this:
http://russiansword.com/russian_shashka.html
[…] look and analysis of Byzantine swords might be useful for […]
Reblogged this on Scholae Palatinae.
A few comments:
1. I thought the Serce Limani shipwreck sword was Avar/Bulgar? It matches Steppe typologies. Even if it is Roman the sword is made in the Pontic style.
2. The Paramerion sabre is widely believed to have evolved out of the narrow langseax. These first appear when the Huns introduce them in the D2 period and have typically a 47.5-63cm blade. Pouan is probably the most famous example of one. Later, in the Avar period, they have longer, 80cm (Spatha-length) blades. Then there’s a slight gap until the first sabres appear. The sabre may have even been a Roman improvement, although they begin to appear simultaneously in the Empire and in Central Asian art during the 8th century.
Otherwise, great article. Definitely an overlooked topic.
almost vomited ,the bloody greek took everything what found on the balkans as their own ,cant belive , God pls come down here and take your debts
The author is American , I just repost it with his approve. 🙂
Reblogged this on Defense Issues.