Introduction
From the Aeneid, to Beowulf, to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a time span that ranges from around 30 BC to the late 14th-century, the sword has been at the center of the story. In the Roman Empire, the sword, as described by Simon James, a Professor of Archaeology at the University of Leicester and author of Rome & the Sword, wrote, “the sword…stands as an archetypal symbol of Rome, and provides a central metaphor for her power.” After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the early 5th-century, Rome’s imperial power began to diminish, although the sword, as both a physical and symbolic representation of power and prestige, continued in its significance throughout the Middle Ages in various time periods and cultures.
Hence, the endurance of the prominence of the sword is the focus of this exhibit. Specifically, this exhibit tells a (not “THE”) narrative of the sword from the Byzantine Empire to the Crusades in an attempt to illustrate the significance of the sword as a symbol of power and prestige throughout the Middle Ages in both an Islamic and Christian context. In order to do so, the exhibit is divided into three sections (which move along chronologically): production and technology, functionality, and a case study of Crusader swords, where I compare and contrast Islamic and Christian swords. At the start of each section, I provide a further explanation and analysis on how each of these categories provide evidence to the endurance of the sword as a physical and symbolic representation of power and prestige in its historical context. By analyzing the sword through the Middle Ages, this exhibit informs our study on the significance of both worthies and religion during this era. With this analysis, it is my hope that we gain a greater understanding of why the sword is such a vital element in the Middle Ages, as represented by the three aforementioned literary classics. Dive in and enjoy!
Citation: James, Simon. Rome and the Sword: How Warriors & Weapons Shaped Roman History. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2011.