Roman entrenching tool

[Richard Price]

I would appreciate help on establishing the correct Latin name for the
standard legionary entrenching tool. This is a piece of kit with a short
handle and a transverse square shaped blade hafted onto it. I don't
mean the pick-axe like dolabra - the name of which appears in all the
standard works: the one I'm interested in is more like a small
mattock/hoe and remains in use by farmers and the military for the same
purposes today. My Latin dictionary is no help and refers only to the
dolabra. In modern Italy (at least in the south) the entrenching tool is
called a zappa (sic!).Thanks - please reply either here or by email.

Cheers,

Richard Price.

se...@sussex.ac.uk

[Tasos Serghides]

Richard Price (se...@central.susx.ac.uk) wrote:
:
: I would appreciate help on establishing the correct Latin name for the

How about "pilupe murale" but to me it does not look like a "tsappa" or
"tsappi" (at least that is how the Greek version of this word is
written). The reference, for the Latin name BTW, is John Warry's,
Warfare In The Classical World, and is about a legionary under Marius.

-=Tasos=-

:
: Cheers,
:
: Richard Price.
:
: se...@sussex.ac.uk