gladius
Quick Summary
The gladius was the primary sword used by Roman legionaries. It was a short, double-edged sword, typically around two feet long, designed for stabbing and thrusting in close combat. The word "gladius" itself comes from the Latin word for sword. While the gladius was the classic Roman stabbing sword, it was eventually replaced by the spatha, a longer slashing sword, towards the end of the Roman Empire. The concept of the sword as a significant weapon dates back to antiquity, with early forms evolving from cutting axes. The development of iron forging around 1200 BCE allowed for the creation of true swords.12
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military technologyThe sword…classic Roman stabbing sword, the gladius, was only some two feet long, though in the twilight years of the empire the gladius gave way to the spatha, the long slashing sword of the barbarians.
Read More…classic Roman stabbing sword, the gladius, was only some two feet long, though in the twilight years of the empire the gladius gave way to the spatha, the long slashing sword of the barbarians.
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tacticsThe legion…of the short sword, or gladius, the latter delivered by the javelin, or pilum, of which most (after 100 bc, all) legionnaires carried two. Screening was provided by light troops moving in front, cohesion by pikemen in the third and rearmost rank. Short arms made it easier for individual soldiers…
Read More…of the short sword, or gladius, the latter delivered by the javelin, or pilum, of which most (after 100 bc, all) legionnaires carried two. Screening was provided by light troops moving in front, cohesion by pikemen in the third and rearmost rank. Short arms made it easier for individual soldiers…
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