Descriptions of offence and defence weapons adopted by the Sabellian people and particularly by Samnites, come from the few literary sources of annals as Livy, or from novelists such as Pliny the Elder and a few others, but also from the frescoes found in the Caudinans and Hirpinans areas, as well as the extant walls paintings from chamber tombs in the northern Lucania. Noteworthy are also the finds of grave goods from the necropolis as "Campo Consolino" ad Alfedena or the "Traccole" in Pietrabbondante. Important is what tells us the "Capestrano Warrior", or the rare bronzes preserved in museums all over Europe.
With these testimonies we describe, without going into details but also without forgetting the important events, what was the evolution of the typical armamentarium of the Samnites and peoples related to them for race and habits (as well as military alliances) from the Late Bronze Age until the Social War period (I century b.C.)
The following text is drawn from the work of: Cianfarani, Franchi Dell'Orto e La Regina "Ancient cultures Adriatic of Molise and Abruzzo" where the armamentarium of our people is described.

TIMES BETWEEN THE TWO MILLENNIA

... Among the tools to cut or to hit peak, the daggers mostly had the blade in the shape of elongated isosceles triangle; in some of them there is the tang that had to be covered with wood or other perishable material; in others the handle, made separately, was stopped by bolts.
The only Daga (a kind of short sword), of similar form to the "dagger" from which differs in its proportions, is attributed to the Late Bronze Age. Many are the knives (is obviously difficult to distinguish between

daggers and knives, because the former could perform the same function). They consist essentially of a handle forming a iron body with a blade long and thin. This has been recognized various styles that are reflected, more or less punctual, in Italian or transalpine cemeteries and can be taken as chronological and cultural reference points: so for a knife having the other end of the handle shaped like a bird's head, we can speak of similarities with the type of "Baierdof" and we report the unique decor of heritage to "civilization of the fields of urns", that developed in central Europa in the second half of second millenium b.C.
The knife of "Matrei" type, to which has been proposed a dating about XII century b.C., takes its name from the ancient Matrium in Austria: it has a curved blade, and was very different from the tang that had to be covered with wood or other perishable material. The marsican Ortucchio gives its name to a particular shape of knife with a thin and straight blade that is dated to the final Bronze Age (XI-IX century b.C.). A series of knives with an elegant curved blade is attributed to Protovillanovan.

Among the examined bronzes there are also six swords. What are called "grip-tongue with flanges" (the swords with grip-tongue for tang have a metal body that finished with a singular shape (tongue) where are fixed the parts of the hand-grip, made with bone or wood or other materials - "Editor's note") are attributable to proto-Villanovan groups. The oldest type is dated to the end of the second millennium and find paragons with Mycenaean swords; the latest examples are placed among two millenia. This kind of sword with "grip-tongue" had to meet great favor everywhere. Indeed, in addition to copies of the Marsicano, there are seven specimens in the Museum of Chieti. Two of them, perhaps of local origin, retain the scabbard of bronze plate, like two from Montorio al Vomano. Other specimens, without scabbard, are from Chieti and Campli, near the border with the Marche.
To the sword with "grip-tongue" follows in time the sword with "antennas" named so for a pair of circular antennas above the handle (as a articulate pommel). The form was dated to the early Iron Age, between the X and VIII centuries b.C. A specimen has been found in the province of Teramo.

The shapes of spear - specimens found are numerous - do not differ much between them and will remain similar even after. There are spears with triangular tip, other like leaf; all have the so-called cannon connection for insertion of wooden rod. It was thought that they were part of an armament consists of pairs of lances of different sizes. This use is known in the Aegean environment since the XIII century b.C. and that, at least in part, is confirmed in our region in monuments later. They are dated between the End of the Bronze age and Early Iron Age.

Vary rare are the arrows, attested by the founded cusps. Rarity of the finds has been explained by the lack of importance that the arch must have in the armamentarium.
As a weapon, finally, was catalogued an ax called "with eye" (into metal head) and was unspecified origin, where the handle is inserted in the appropriate hole, therefore different from many other Fucent axes with little wing, that have the function of tools, in which the handle, bent at an angle, it fits in wings raised laterally to heel. The battle-ax of which is ascribed our sample is considered very exceptional in the Final Bronze age.

THE ARCHAIC PERIOD

The figurative evidences

The statue of Capestrano Warrior (VI Century b.C.) is a document so full of details to illustrate the offense and defense weapons that has very few parallels in ancient statuary. However, many elements have been matched in grave goods of necropolis but other elements create problematic situations, in spite of the meticulous care that characterizes the description of the weapons.
The most striking is certainly the headgear.

This consists of a hemisphe-rical dome, a very large circular brim, and a crest engaged on dome and on brim that, falls to the rear, gives rise to a tail. It's still under discussion the possibility that the traits of the face are to be considered reletive to a protective mask rather than a stylized anatomical descrip-tion. It's assumed that instead of the ears have been represented same protections associated with the mask.
Revolves around the neck a ribbed strip that leaves entirely free all part of the neck and from which hangs before an item that was intended as an ornament rather than defensive, even if one function does not neces-sarily exclude the other.

The defense of Warrior's body is entrusted to a pair of discs called "kardiophylax" and to an element of protection of the abdomen. This discs are bordered by a rounded edge and are smooth in the rest. They are placed to cover before and after the cardiac area.
The defense of the abdomen is made up by a large plate shaped, restricted by a band. This band, in the front, is connected to a meander, a kind of skirt, that from the waist drops to tip to the crotch of the legs and in the rear, still a little meander, always of the same shape, falls on the area of the coccyx and is bordered with a strip with zig-zag decoration. In defense of the abdomen, it was desired identify the

Wide belt surrounding the waist divided into five parts, which may be glipsed the windings of the strip that, passed under right arm, then rises toward the rear disc behind which is to be situated in a confused manner. Both the defense front and back of the abdomen are supported by the zone belt, under which are attached the meanders.

As mentioned, the sword is secured by a strap to the plate with shaped lobe which forms the ferrule. This is common to left and right outside bandoliers. The different parts of the weapon are described with remarkable precision. The blade, as we understand from the scrabbard, is a "Willow leaf-shaped" elongated with swelling to a third of the tip.
The tang through the hand-grip decorated with two human figures, expressed on two sets according to scheme of mature geometric, and is topped with a pommel who in the representation had a trapezoidal shape, but in reality was probably truncated cone shape. The cruise hilt of the sword was very thin.
The mouth of the scrabbard is composed by an expanded metal ring used to receive all the hilt; it bears the figure of a pair of quadruped (horses?) aimed at the left.

The iron chape (or ferrule, the pointed end) of scrabbard consists of a plaque where at the top are positioned two side appendages. It bears traces of zoomorphic figures, which has been convincingly identified the well-known theme of the lion that bites a human leg. At the sword is superimposed on a knife without hilt but also fitted with a scrabbard; two quadrupeds are represented on the hand-grip, similar to those seen on the expanded rings of the sword. Warrior brings on the left side of his thorax a very long-handled ax with thin pen, a weapon that has been interpreted as a symbol of command, but that could also be an

effective weapon. At side, on the two pillars that frame the statue, are carved two spears, with the length of 1.36 meter and 1.29 meter respectively, with "willow leaf-shaped" tip and cannon connection.
Both are equipped of an appendix, on wooden rod, in which one must recognize the catch for amentum, the strip of leather used to reinforce the momentum of the launch, as will happen later in the Roman aclys.
The sharp gleaning felt along the tibia did suggest the existence of the greaves.
The feet of statue are protected by shoes. They were made of a very thin soles, from which comes off a series of thongs. At the height of the heel and plantar arch of foot starts the heads of two thongs that cross below the malleolus.

Them, the front thong running over heel down which a triangular tassel, and the back thong rises up on the instep. A very faint trace on the left foot shows another belt, the "giuggia" that current at the base of the toes.
In addition to the collar, are to be remembered as the ornaments armillas (bracelets) around their arms, two on the left arm and one on the right arm, consisting of a simple strip; from the lower left armilla down five pendants with truncated pyramid shape.

Like the Capestrano warrior, even the schematized warrior of antropomorphic stele of Guardiagrele had the thorax protected by two discs hooked at an balteo (balteo = leather belt, shouldered by the ancient warriors to hang the weapons) down by right humerus and, after stopping by pectoral disc, runs on the left side and go up the shoulder, passing under the disc on back.
The balteo is decorated with a meander pattern developed with considerably refined technique.
Before, in the face, turns a necklace made from a kind of umbilical tube from which descend ten clapper shaped pendants, "the most widespread and numerous of the Picenans pendants".
In the thickness of the stele, on right side, is represented a spear with a "willow leaf-shaped" tip.

Grave Goods

Besides the illustrated testimony, armament knowledge is entrusted by the grave goods of Alfedena, Atri and many other sporadic discoveries and, especially now, by those discovered at the necropolis of Campovalano. Some types of characteristic weapons of those grave goods are here attributed Greek and Roman names of weapons on the basis of clear correspondences and, sometimes, by a probable descendants of Roman weapons from those Samnite.
At the sword, the "spatha" (Isid. Orig. XVIII, 6) of Capestrano warrior, correspond numerous examples found in the tombs of our region.
The Abruzzian swords, that are present both in Campovalano and Alfedena, have the spear-shaped blade forged together with the tang; this fits into the hand-grip that had two wooden covering as, on the other hand, the thin cross-guard and hemispherical or cylindrical pommel. The entire hilt is covered by iron plates.

The scrabbard is made of wood; the mouth is reinforced by a sturdy iron ring, that in some specimens, such as Warrior, expands in width over the cruise hilt and is equipped with two cornet-shape protrusions turn at the top. Even the big spike (ferrule) is formed by a slab of iron that, after having wrapped the base of the scrabbard, expands into a semicircular shape. The pommel of hilt, the mouth end the ferrule of scrabbard are frequently decorated with a unique technique which, to our knowledge, is here detected for the first time: the iron plates of the two elements are perforated second ornamental and also figured patterns - animals and imaginary creatures - which are highlighted by an underlying bone thin plate. The sword of Capestrano warrior certainly reproduces this kind of decoration.
At the sword squeezed in his arms from the Warrior was superimposed, as we have seen, a knife. The same association, and with the elements in the same situation, was found in tombs in the necropolis of Campovalano.

The knives of Campovalano have the pointed blade, ribbed on one side, that in one of the specimens, cm. 35 long, is straight, while the opposite side is slightly falcate; in another sample the curvature, much more pronounced, are concerned with the ribbed side. It is plausible that this weapon should be recognized the "máchaira", so many and so precise are the comparisons that can be found among the literary evidence on one side and the exhibits on the other.
In the "máchairai" of Campovalano the tang is locked between two plates of iron, ornamented with the technique found in the sword; in the decoration of one of them seems able to recognize a quadruped. Many "máchairai" were found in the necropolis of Marche: Numana, Ancona, Novilara, Verrucchio; out of the Marche were found in Vulci and Chiusi.

There are many discoveries on the other side of the Adriatic.
Singular knife, found in Campovalano, remember the "secespita", used in Rome in the Augustan age only in the sacrifices: has the trapezoidal iron blade with the only curved cutting edge and the tang, that should be inserted into a hand-grip made of different materials, was in continuation of the opposite side. It seems hard to believe that the "secespita" of Campovalano was an instrument of worship; is vice versa likely to be passed to this habit after being a real weapon.

Many are in Campovalano and Alfedena copies of a dagger with sharp blade in both sides, parallel to each other, and with sharp tip. Characteristic of the weapon is the hand-grip; the tang, with square section, perhaps already covered with wood or leather, is flanged with an upper extension consists of four stems with the globe-shaped end. This articulated pommel contains within a fifth globe surrounded by other. Not appear to exist between blade and hand-grip a cross-guard projecting laterally. The iron cross-guard consists essentially of two metal foils overlapping, with isosceles triangle shape and with the same height but with different basis. The larger foil, that at the base closes laterally in a strip, folds up its sides on minor foil, thus forming the housing for the blade. In the strip is hooked, by one or two rings, the chain to fix the weapon to his belt.
The iron chape (or ferrule, the pointed end) of scabbard fits in a spike-shaped button. At this kind of dagger, which in our region have been found specimens in Atri, Mariani assigns Eastern origin, saying that we can follow the course from Mycenae up in Italy.

From Mariani this weapon, with other similar types, is identified with the name of "short gladius", while previously was preferred to call it from "Novilara". Retain the name of Gladio, for the obvious analogy with the known Roman weapon, might suggest the definition "with stamens" by already described characteristic shape of the pommel. Largely at Campovalano, but also elsewhere - for example to Alfedena and Loreto

Aprutino - are numerous the finds of so-called spit, with iron square section. They have a ring at one end and usually occur in bundles of several pieces joined by a wire fitted with a hook. A bundle discovered at Campovalano includes five copies, the largest of which is cm. 73 long. In the near Marche, spits analogues were found to Ascoli, Fermo, to Novilara and Tolentino.
Uncertain is the significance of this object, whether it should be considered a real weapon or household utensil, or an object of exchange in pre-currency period, based on histories gathered from Herodotus. Especially since in some cases bundles of spears were found in association with andiron.
Moreover spits and andirons are accompanied constantly, at least in men's tombs of Campovalano, at the metal ware "noble", for the mess, unlike the common pottery for the kitchen founds in female tombs.

This fact might possibly make a hypothesis: the use of noble tools only for the mess could indicate the exclusively male participation at the banquet. Pottery for the fireplace would identify, at this center of domestic life, a female domination. Moreover, assuming for the spits the same use they currently have, derives from this the probability that they were the same banqueters to work during the banquet to cook the meat.
Dagger we can call - nor would know what name we match in armamentarium of the Classical Age - a weapon founds in a isolated tomb at Torricella Peligna, in examples that allow to date it to time not later than the VI century b.C.

The weapon, performed in a single piece of iron, is cn. 32 long, including 18 belonging to the blade. This had two shape blades almost parallel to little more than two thirds that converge in a very sharp tip. The hilt consists of an overlapping little spindles (fuserole) hand-grip with shaped button top - therefore very suitable to catch - under which a rectangular plate was used to stop the scabbard which the sprocket tip was recovered. Significant traces of inlaid copper remain both on one side of the plate and on fuseruole. Weapons of the same kind, although dissimilar in shape, come from Loreto Aprutino.
It should be noted however that, following findings performed until now, not seem that the dagger was common in armamentarium of VI century b.C.
For the Romans as the Greeks the club was a barbaric weapon. Herodotus (VII, 63) attributes to the Scythians and calls it "wood covered with iron". Similar to the Scythian clubs had to be the clubs of warriors buried in Campovalano; of them have found the heads of iron, drilled from side to side, with spherical or ovoid shape, that measured cm. 3-4 in diameter, into which you insert the hand-grip of wood and stopped it by a small wedge of iron or a nail. Mace-heads are to be recognized in two cylinders of bronze. Two cylinders of bronze found is been identified as mace-heads, more or less the same size, discovered respectively at Mount Pallano and Alfedena. They are distinguished from specimens of Campovalano for the surface provided with tips. Other heads of iron mace come from Atri and, in the nearby Marche, is located in Ascoli, Belmonte Piceno and Cupra Marittima.