Tiberius Sword

The blade, which is a typical gladius in shape and size, made of iron, is currently very rusty. The handle is not preserved. The sheath is made of tinned and gilded bronze. The length of the sword is 57.5 centimeters (blade without a handle), the maximum width is 8 centimeters. With the presence of the scabbard design with coinage in gold, we are not talking about any exclusivity of this sword, its ceremonial or ceremonial use. Specialists of many countries attribute it to everyday military weapons ^[1] .

According to British scholars, scabbard jewelry illustrates the transfer of the symbol of military victory from the consul of Tiberius to Emperor Octavian Augustus ^[2] after a successful military campaign. Half-naked Octavian Augustus sits in the Jupiter position, surrounded by the goddess of victory Victoria and Mars , while Tiberius, dressed in armor, presents him with a statue of Victoria. On the shield that Octavian holds with his left hand the inscription “Felicitas Tiberi” (≈ Success of Tiberius), on the shield in the hands of the goddess Victoria - “Vic [toria] Aug [usti]” (Victory of Augustus) ^[3] . If the opinion of the British is true, then the plot may date back to 11-7 years BC. e., when Tiberius won several victories in the south of modern Germany and annexed Pannonia to the empire. Until the age of 12, he had no noticeable military successes, and in the year 6 retired into voluntary exile to the island of Rhodes .

Another version put forward by German researchers. In their opinion, a warrior standing in armor is Germanicus , and opposite him is a half-naked Tiberius, which confirms the shield with his name on which he rests his left hand. The inscription on the shield of the goddess Victoria does not refer to Augustus as a proper name, but to the title Augustus existing during this period. If this version is true, then the plot should be attributed to the 14-17 years BC. e., when the consul Germanicus fought in Upper Germany . However, it is precisely this point of view that allows German scientists to conclude that such a plot is used as a kind of state propaganda that exaggerates the real achievements of the Latins during this period. The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 A.D. e. culminated in the complete defeat of the Roman legions. Germanicus, sent 6 years later to return the land west of the Rhine to the empire, did not achieve any serious military success ^[4] . Moreover, such swords were in mass production ^[1] , and the plot of the expected victories was claimed to enhance the spirit of the Roman army. This weapon, quite expensive in design, was issued to average military officers at the centurion level, but its value was deducted from their salary ^[4] .

The blade and scabbard were found in August 1848 (according to other sources in 1845 ^[4] ) during excavation work during the construction of the railway line to the Rhine harbor. For the image on the scabbard, clearly indicating historical characters, was called the "sword of Tiberius." The artifact wanted to buy out the local history museum, but could not pay the requested 12,000 guilders. It was acquired by a private collector Felix Slade, and in 1866 he donated it to the British Museum. The exact reconstruction of the gladius from Mainz is also kept today at the Central Romano-German Museum in Mainz.

• Enlarged sheath decoration details at Roman Military Equipment