Sagaris (weapon)
| Sagaris (weapon) | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Weapon type: | Riding ax |
| Use: | military weapon |
| Creation time: | approx. 600 BC Chr. |
| Region of origin / author: |
Scythians |
| Distribution: | Europe , Persian Empire |
| Overall length: | approx. 70 - 80 cm |
| Handle: | Wood, leather |
| Lists on the subject | |
The sagaris is a battle ax that was used by Persians , Amazons and Scythians in ancient times .
Description and use
The Sagaris was an ax that had a relatively small head and was wielded with one hand. It was used by riders, for which it was well suited due to its handiness and low weight. Ax blades made of bronze and iron are known. One side of the ax was sharpened and the other side was shaped into a thorn. The Scythians still had a straight edge, but in the Persian Empire it was made with a crescent-shaped edge. It was similar to the heavier Persian double ax . On some paintings there are depictions of foot soldiers who were also equipped with the Sagaris.
history
The area of origin of the Sagaris was the Scythian area. Local riders used them as an alternative or second weapon. The sagaris came into greater use when the Persians took over the ax. In the Persian armies riders and foot soldiers were equipped with it. Warriors armed with sagari axes were also successful against the spear-bearers of the Greeks, as this ax was more handy and maneuverable than the often meter-long Greek lances. Against the campaigns of Alexander the Great , the axes were very effective for rapid cavalry attacks and almost cost him his life, as Plutarch writes. In the 2nd century BC The Sagaris disappeared from the battlefields. It is believed that they could no longer do anything against the improved armor. Ornate specimens were found during excavations of Scythian graves, the tips of which were decorated with animal motifs. Finds from Arzan Kurgan in the Republic of Tuva are known .
literature
- Adrienne Mayor: The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World , Princeton University Press, 2014, ISBN 978-1-4008-6513-0 .
- Johann Heinrich Zedler, Carl Günther Ludovici: Large complete Universal Lexicon of all sciences and arts , Halle Leipzig, 1742