paleryder
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Le Roy, IL
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It's from a passage from him History of Rome, BOOK XXXVIII. XXIX. 2-9. It referes to the Achaeans. Here are a few different translations I've found on-line:
"recorded One hundred slingers were brought from iEgium Patne and Dymae These men according to the customary practice of that nation were exercised from their childhood in throwing with a sling into the open sea the round pebbles with which mixed with sand the shores were generally strewn therefore they cast weapons of that sort to a greater distance with surer aim and more powerful effect than even the Balea rian slingers Besides their sling does not consist merely of a single strap like the Balearic and that of other nations but the thong of the sling is three fold and made firm by several seams that the bullet may not by the yielding of the strap in the act of throwing be let fly at random but after sticking fast while whirled about it may be discharged as if sent from the string of a bow Being accustomed to drive their bullets through circular marks of small circumference placed at a great distance they not only hit the enemy's heads but any part of their face that they aimed at These slings checked the Saniaeans from sallying either so frequently or so boldly insomuch that they would sometimes from the walls beseech the Achaeans to retire for a while and be quiet spectators of their fight with the Roman guards Same supported a siege of four months "
Here's another:
"Moreover, the sling is not composed of a single strap, like those of the Baleares and other peoples, but the bullet-carrier is triple, strengthened with numerous seams, that the missile may not fly out at random, from the pliancy of the strap at the moment of discharge, but, seated firmly while being whirled, may be shot out as if from a bowstring."
My understanding is that there is some uncertainty as to what Livy is referring to when he mentions "sed triplex scutale" (where something is triple). Some believe the "scutale" is the pouch while other believe it could be one of the thongs. It's interseting that one translation suggests that a projectile might fly out prematurely or haphazardly due to the "pliancy" of the strap/thong", but here the word it not scutale. It would seem that the Achaeans had a well developed pocket or at least rather different from other cultures. The strange part is that this haphazard flight "from the pliancy of the strap" occurred "at the moment of discharge". So, is the flight problem describe by Livy in other slings due to 1) not having a defined pocket or 2) the pliancy of the strap/thong that the Achaeans did not have? Livy uses the scutale word when discussing the cestrosphendone and it doesn't have a pouch.
I suppose that he could always be referring to the pouch, first in general when he indicates that it is triple but then specifically regarding the nature of the thongs making up the pouch. So, the Achaean pouch is triple and because it is stengthened with numerous seams, the thongs of the pouch are not so pliant that they allow the projectile to escape as with the slings of the Baleares and elsewhere.
If the pouch is made up of three thongs, if that is what triple means, then what could "strengthened by numerous seams" mean? Could be a net like arrangement with the three thongs tied together with strings of fiber? Could it be that the three thongs are the skeleton of the pouch and the "numerous seams" refers to a simple weaving with plant fiber? Puzzling to me.
Well, I look forward to ideas anyone has. Thanks.
Todd
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