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Gladius
Design & Description
Definition:
The original sword, taken from the Hispanic design, was the 27 inch short straight sword,
which broadened
towards the handle giving it a slight "wasp-waist" or
"leaf-blade" curvature. This type of sword had a two-edged
blade and a tapered point. The Gladius was the weapon after which the
gladiator (swordsman) was named.
Gladius Hilt
The Roman sword had a solid,
comfortable hilt (capulus) sometimes designed with ridges
for the fingers. The sword hilts of infantry officers were
occasionally ornately decorated.
Gladius Decorations
The blade of the gladius
used by the Roman infantry was occasionally decorated with a
crest. The owner's name, especially if they were high
ranking soldiers, was often engraved or punched on the
blade.
Who used the Gladius?
This was a type of
sword used by the Roman army and by some gladiators in the
Roman arenas including the Colosseum. The gladiators who
used the sword were those who were armed with body-shields
such as the
secutor,
myrmillo,
hoplomachus and the
dimacheris.
Purpose of the Gladius
The short design of the
sword was particularly effective for thrusting and
stabbing movements and could penetrate the armor of
opponents via its tapered point. Its two-edged blade was
designed for cutting and slashing. The purpose of the Roman
Gladius was therefore multi-functional.
Gladius Scabbards
The sword was sheathed in
a scabbard. The scabbard, which held the blade of the
sword, was either mounted on a belt or on a shoulder
strap. Roman scabbards were made of wood which were covered
with leather and decorated with a frame made of either brass
or of iron.
Different types of the Gladius
The design of the gladius
was changed and improved over the years as the Roman came
into contact with different enemies and weapons. The blade
The gladius is referred to by the following names the
Gladius Hispaniensis, Mainz, Fulham, Pompeii and Gladius Graecus:
The Gladius Graecus was a leaf-shaped short sword originally
used by the Greek hoplites. Hoplites were the
citizen-soldiers of the Ancient Greek City-states which
included Sparta. The Gladius Graecus was used by the
Busturius and Hoplomachus gladiators. ***
The Gladius Hispaniensis or the
Hispanic sword is described above ***
The Mainz was characterized by a slight waist
running the length of the blade and a long point
The Pompeii was characterized by parallel cutting
edges and a triangular tip
Gladius
The content of this Gladius
category on the weapons used by soldiers and gladiators in Ancient Rome provides free educational
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