Wellmann Imre szerk.: A Magyar Mezőgazdasági Múzeum Közleményei 1971-1972 (Budapest, 1973)
White, Kenneth D.: The Great Chesterford scythes
made for cutting hay or other type of fodder. Indeed it is very tempting to regard them as in some sense a British parallel to the 'Gallic' scythes with long handles mentioned by PLINY 6 , which in my opinion are the scythes represented on the seasons relief of the Porte de Mars at Reims. 7 3. Why an improved scythe for hay? This, like so many other problems in ancient history, is one for speculation. By the time these scythes were made (in the middle of the fourth century) the armies which defended the Roman frontiers had for some time been undergoing a profound transformation. All through her history as a military power Rome pinned her faith on her footsoldiers, those apparently invincible legions which for three centuries held an immensely long land frontier running from the Netherlands to Bulgaria. Her cavalry were supplied by her allies and her subjects. But a number of serious reverses had awakened the authorities to the need for a much more powerful cavalry arm, as well as a great increase in the total strength of the armed forces. The army was doubled in size, and the proportion of cavalry to infantry went up from 10% to 30%. 8 We have little detailed information on the provisioning of the army of the later empire, but we know that rations and fodder were normally requisitioned from the local producers, and it would not be unreasonable to regard the appearance of these improved scythes as a response to increased demands for fodder for army purposes. The Great Chesterford estate is on the chalk, and therefore on land with a good potential for grass: if hay was being out on a large scale very large implements of this type will hawe effected a considerable saving in labour. 9 The time factor is also important in these northern regions; in Italy in Pliny's time haymaking started at the beginning of June, the driest month of the year. 10 In Britain, however, the hay is, and presumably was then, cut much later than this, at a time when summer storms can seriously damage or even ruin the crop, giving rise to the well-known proverb about making hay while the sun shines. The problems posed by these scythes are complex, and much essential information is lacking, but with increasing knowledge of the economic conditions of late Roman Britain it may be possible to place these remarkable implements in a socio-economic pattern which is at present known to us only in vague outline. ß PLINY. História naturalis, 18. 261: 'the scythes used on the large estates of the Gallic provinces are larger' (viz. as compared with the short Italian scythe). 7 WHITE, K. D. op. cit. (above, n. 5), 159, 162 and pi. 13. BSee JONES, A. H. M. The Later Roman Empire. Oxford 1964. 52 ff. 9As shown by practical tests carried out with the replica. I0 PLINY. História Naturalis 18. 258: 'Meadows are mown around June 1st'.
