Favonius Cornelius Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 (edited) I was wondering if anyone knew any particulars about the laws (if any) restricting the possession and carrying of arms and armor in the Empire. Was it illegal for a man to have his own gladius and armor and not be a soldier? Edited January 20, 2006 by Favonius Cornelius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princeps Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Nope, no law against it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.Clodius Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Not sure about towns, cities, municipia outside Rome but yes, it was illegal to carry arms inside the Pomerium. G. Gracchus' supporters were armed with styli (pens) as a means of self defense. Wikipedia; "Weapons were also banned inside the pomerium for religious and traditional reasons. Praetorian guards were allowed in only in civilian dress (toga), and were then called collectively cohors togata." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Favonius Cornelius Posted January 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 (edited) G. Gracchus' supporters were armed with styli (pens) as a means of self defense Heh, I wonder if the laws spawned a generation of daggers which looked like a stylus and could be used like a stylus but were just a BIT big... http://www.edgarlowen.com/b5939.jpg Ouch! Edited January 20, 2006 by Favonius Cornelius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 thus we have stilettoes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Favonius Cornelius Posted January 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Wikipedia; "Weapons were also banned inside the pomerium for religious and traditional reasons. Praetorian guards were allowed in only in civilian dress (toga), and were then called collectively cohors togata." So, you're saying that Praetorian guards walked around in togas with swords? The popular movie representations of Praetorian Soldiers marching around in armor is all wrong? thus we have stilettoes? Stylus...stilettoes....I think you're on to something Pertinax! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost_Warrior Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 thus we have stilettoes? Stylus...stilettoes....I think you're on to something Pertinax! smile.gif Actually I believe stilletoes were developed in order to get through chain mail. What we have, ladies and gentlemen, is the first appearance of the Pen Knife! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLavius Valerius Constantinus Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 (edited) From my knowledge of Latin, here's what I gather from the word origin of stilettoes using latin words. : Stylus,-i, m. - pencil, iron pen leto, letare, letavi, letatus - to kill (Very rare verb to use to say to kill.) Now if you put those two together, well obviously you get styleto or something near. Also it might be letum,-i., n. which means death and destruction. So lets see, in latin it would be in this short phase: Stylo letat. --> He kills with a pencil/iron pen. (For Pertinax, the ablative used here is called the ablative of means which means you do use a preposition when it involves using objects or instruments, however, when it involves a person its called the ablative of agent which is commonly used with a or ab. Edited January 20, 2006 by FLavius Valerius Constantinus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.Clodius Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 So, you're saying that Praetorian guards walked around in togas with swords? The popular movie representations of Praetorian Soldiers marching around in armor is all wrong? My quote was from wikipedia. Yes the Praetorians walked around in togas within the Pomerium. No, they wouldn't have overtly carried swords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 G. Gracchus' supporters were armed with styli (pens) as a means of self defense. Is this where the saying "The pen is mightier than the sword" comes from? What about lictors? I believe that they were armed with the axes in their fasces, but were they allowed inside the pomerium? I know that if they were guarding an individual with imperium, who was awaiting a triumph etc, they weren't allowed to cross the pomerium until the triumph and not at all otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.Clodius Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 What about lictors? I believe that they were armed with the axes in their fasces, but were they allowed inside the pomerium? This is true, they had axes attached to the rods, just not inside Rome. The axes were removed inside Rome. The official, (Dictator 24, Consul 12, Praetor 2 but 6 lictors when outside Rome) could not arbitrarily carryout capital punishment (the symbol of the axe), outside Rome was another story. The rods symbolized the ability to inflict corporal punishment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Matius Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Inside the pomerium, only a Dictator's imperium gave him the power of life and death over citizens, thus his lictors had axes in their fasces. Also, gladiators were armed within the pomerium when they were performing. A rich privatus would often hire ex-gladiators as personal bodyguards, and they would normally be armed, although their arms would be concealed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldrail Posted February 4, 2006 Report Share Posted February 4, 2006 I was wondering if anyone knew any particulars about the laws (if any) restricting the possession and carrying of arms and armor in the Empire. Was it illegal for a man to have his own gladius and armor and not be a soldier? Arms and armour were excluded from the city of Rome by custom. Praetorian guards wore togas on duty at the senate and would have kept blades out of sight. Out in the countryside? Anyone spotted with this equipment would either have it requisitioned by the legions or find himself volunteered for service (or dealt with as a deserter or thief). There simply wouldn't have been any need to have this stuff. You could always join the army if you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion Legioneer Posted February 4, 2006 Report Share Posted February 4, 2006 No, I do not believe the Romans had in place laws restricting the possesion of weapons or armor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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