Board Thread:Skyrim/@comment-14027812-20131029222234/@comment-202.156.8.11-20131216121655

Also, lorewise, Two handed battleaxes, warhammers, spears were good for horseback combat due to the momentum the horse provides, the reach from horseback (its hard to fight with a 1 hand sword on horseback) and cause they could dish out major damage while mounted. You pulled out your (one handed) sword only when you dismount, cause 2 handed (apart from the greatsword) is not really made for foot combat (spear is for defense or throwing - you don't actually use one to attack).

The altmer probably had calvary (it seems silly to not have such) and these 2 handed weapons work well on calvary, as said above, so it would not make sense not to have 2 handed weapons. The main reason why you don't see 2 handed altmer is cause there is no altmer calvary, so it made little sense to give footsoldiers primarily horseback weapons (The stormcloaks and their 2 handed weapons ON FOOT are actually silly, a sword or axe is more practical, the legion is the one with proper tactics, nobody will use 2 hand dismounted in real life unless its a greatsword or they lost their horse)