I have some computer issues so it is hard to follow exactly what happens in this thread. And you guys are amazing: the reach of topics is huge, the casual and the very specific and rigorous are well balanced.
And there is always something new and interesting.

I wished to respond to a few of the posts that i haven’t adressed yet. I’m a bit late but see the Computer issues above.

To Snowbliss first. The Nagyrev scenario is clearly impressive and enticing from a storyteller point of view. Such strange circonstances call for a narratively satisfactory explanation and this one may be the most dramatic.

About the Sabines, and generaly the problems with oral tradition, it is quite hard to discern the historical facts, the mythological motives and the literary embellishment. In Rome we have early texts but we know that they reflect some lost oral stuffs. What is historical is difficult to tell. In the Illiad, for comparison, the helmets and shields are accurate with archeological finds. So there musst be something of historical value there.
What exactly, and how it reflect of what is a huge topic with a lot of contradicting positions from Euhemerism ( the legends represent misinterpreted facts and the gods were humans) to structuralism ( very roughly the myth change according to rule akin to the laws of linguistic).

His underlying theories are rightly dissmissed today but Georges Dumézil demonstrated the connections between the ancient history of Rome and some known myths. Horatius Cocles or the Horaces have very similar cousins across the world, even in historical time. The attribute of the first kings match descriptions of gods and so on. Again, historical stuffs are certainly there. Rome was clearly at war with is Italian neighbours, but those events happened certainly not like in the Urbe Condita. And that’s only the stuffs we know. I mean, we have a lot of holes in our knowledge of myths.
On a relative note i think far many cities were described as lost in tales around the world that were effectively lost. Only in Brittany i can think of more than a few like Ys, and they don’t point to anything existing.

So i tend to be carefull with the use of traditions and even of historical sources. They are meant to inform but that’s only a part of their content.

To Galloglaich, thanks, i forget Galen. Cool idea.

About greek weapons: as already said, not many were described. The most famous example is of course the shield of Achilles, his depiction is one of the most celebrated literary piece in history. The shield was made by Hephaistos and brought by the divine mother of Achilles. The fight for the weapons and armor were important i Illuad but more as a symbol of the individual valor of a fighter than his power. Also there was some greed involved .

Amazingly quite a few bows are mentionned and the Odysseus one may be the closer to a Symbol of kingship. Ok, that‘s not exactly a sword in the stone but the weapon can only be used by the rightfull sovereign of the place. Herakles, Apollo, Artemis all use bows and for the gods it is an important attribute.

Theseus had to take is sword and sandals from under the rock were his father put them. Again The weapon is not really an attribute, more a token of recognition.

Also i think there is a Zeus depicted with a labris, the two headed axe, but it‘s a foggy memory.

I think the closest relative could be staffs, like the thyrse of Dyonisos or the caduceus of Hermes. The thyrse was used by priests but obviously it was no weapon and not used by kings.

Also the club of Herakles is a specific case of depiction of the hero. Suffice to say that it is not intended to give him more but to show how special he was. Only a god could use such weapon efficiently.

The fact is also that Greece was not as fond of individual military valoir as the neighbours. The weapons were collectively dedicated to temples, and the shield was valorised. The strength of the city was important so personal weapons were less valorised than, say, in medieval Europe.
As much as i understand, few of the divine attribute were explicitly weapons cause few of the gods were fighters. Even then, some are mysterious like the famous Aegis.

But i will read the worldbuilding proposition more carefully. I have to catch up to the thread again...