These special warriors were composed of recruits from outside of Byzantium by design. The battle axe was the principal weapon of the Varangians, as recorded in the sources (Psellos, Chronographia, VI, 87 Anna Komnena, Alexiadis, II, 9, p. The Varangian guard in the Byzantine Roman military, were known for their love of the vine, for their loyalty to the Emperor, and for their bravery in battle. If metal artifacts are NOT treated and stabilized correctly, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO CORRODE AND COULD EVENTUALLY FALL APART. The vast majority of sellers of metal artifacts do NOT PROPERLY conserve their specimens and many do nothing at all. Unlike most metal artifacts sold on the market that are untreated and uncleaned, ALL our specimens our properly cleaned, inspected and conserved in our museum conservation lab prior to being offered for sale to our clients. NOTE: This genuine artifact has been professionally cleaned and conserved in our museum lab facility to ensure against further deterioration. Collected from a region that was once occupied by the Byzantine Roman military as they fought against the challengers of the Christian Roman Empire, these weapons were utilized by Roman soldiers in one of the many violent and frequent battles that took place in defense of Byzantium.
![bearded battle axe bearded battle axe](https://damascusdepot.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/il_fullxfull.1223655993_sy9p.jpg)
The river served as a natural barrier against attacks from the north. In the Balkans, Roman camps and fortresses along the Danube were constantly being challenged by opposing tribes and armies. This region was the northern-most boundary of the Roman Empire for most of its duration and evolut ion into Byzantium until 1336 AD, when the area fell under Ottoman rule. This weapon was used by the Byzantine Christian Roman armies defending the Empire's northern border along the Danube River in the present day East Balkans. The most feared infantry soldiers of the Byzantine Roman army were the Varangian Guard shock troops, famous for fighting on foot with large iron axes. The axe required no skill or special training, and could inflict fatal wounds with a single blow, making it one of the most deadly of all ancient weapons.
![bearded battle axe bearded battle axe](https://img1.etsystatic.com/180/0/7291483/il_570xN.1162218559_g4jq.jpg)
When fighting got close and personal, the axe was a devastating weapon and could defeat all forms of armor. SEE DIAGRAM AT END OF THIS PAGE - THIS AXE IS SIMILAR TO #19 BUT WITH A LONGER DROP BLADE The bearded axe was a typical war axe from the Scandinavian tribes of the Vikings who were the most feared warriors of the Varangian Guard. The heavy hammer butt end would have been effective in crushing the skulls of helmeted enemies. The large drop blade served to inflict larger than normal, terrible wounds, much more severe than the size would suggest it could make. This axe features e xcellent preservation and is complete. It has an interesting feature - actual combat damage evidenced by the broken weld a the shaft body! Ancient weapons with actual combat damage are especially desirable and rarely seen.
![bearded battle axe bearded battle axe](https://damascusdepot.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/61wdZYW9L._SL1000_-768x512.jpg)
It would have been the primary axe carried by the Varangian Guard front line shock troops. This is a rare Viking Bearded Axe, so named by the drop blade creating a very broad cutting edge. They carried a second heavy axe in their belt for back-up, on a shorter handle. In battle, they were employed on the front lines to break enemy advances, wielding intimidating large two-handed shaft axes on long handles. These were the elite shock troops and personal body guards to the emperor.
![bearded battle axe bearded battle axe](https://i.etsystatic.com/16178913/r/il/32dddf/2556934131/il_794xN.2556934131_baz2.jpg)
Best axe steel.In the Byzantine Roman ancient world, there was one fighting force that relied on the axe as a primary weapon - the fearless and highly feared Varangian Guard of the Roman Byzantine military.