Croatian Axemen in Oath of Fealty

RobKhan · Post by **RobKhan** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:26 pm

I am thoroughly enjoying this book, but I am puzzled why Croat Axemen on top of page 12 are called axemen, but are armed with light spear and sword - did they have very small axes therefore not classed as a heavy weapon??

RobKhan

philqw78 · Post by **philqw78** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:50 pm

Axes wielded in one hand and javelins IIRC, being FoG they fall over if they try and throw the Javs tho.

batesmotel · Post by **batesmotel** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:24 pm

As I recall, the Croatian axemen qualifed as AX(S) in the DBM lists due to having two handed cutting weapons. Does anyone know of any more credibile historical references that might actually describe the weapons used by Croatians during this period? As the owner of a Croatian army from DBM days, inquiring minds want to know.

Chris

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:43 am

IIRC the evidence was that they had axes, not that they had two-handed axes. DBM chose to give this the "best" possible interpretation and allow them to be Ax(S). We did not feel that the evidence justified HW in FOG.

Many troops in FOG armed with single handed axes are graded as Swordsmen in FOG.

batesmotel · Post by **batesmotel** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:05 pm

rbodleyscott wrote:IIRC the evidence was that they had axes, not that they had two-handed axes. DBM chose to give this the "best" possible interpretation and allow them to be Ax(S). We did not feel that the evidence justified HW in FOG.

Many troops in FOG armed with single handed axes are graded as Swordsmen in FOG.

Thanks for the response. Do you have any pointers to the evidence? I didn't find anything significant with a quick search on line other than there might be more information in De Administrando Imperio. (Have to dig out my translation of it.) Do you have any other references easily available? (I often run Thracians as light spear, sword, so I'm not necessarily unhappy with the classification although it might have been reasonable to allow the option like it is for the Thracians. I have noticed that the list for the Croatians prior to the union with Hungary do not seem to get an equivalent troop type. Are the axemen only attested serving for the Hungarians?)

Chris