The Real Lives of the Gladiators of Rome – The Unfathomable Sport of Life and Death.
The gladius was best-used for extremely close-quarters combat, where longer swords or spears were rendered useless due to the lack of room to maneuver. It was, however, used primarily for stabbing, and its triangular point did this job perfectly. It was a double-edged sword, and was an effective slashing weapon. This gladius had a blade that was about 50 cm (20 inches) long, which is considerably short for a sword. The best-known type is the so-called ‘Pompeii gladius’, as examples of this gladius were found there. ( AWP /Adobe Stock )īased on the archaeological evidence, several types of gladii have been discovered, indicating that the weapon evolved according to time. It was during the Second Punic War against Carthage that the Roman general, Scipio Africanus, encountered this weapon, took a liking to it, and began equipping his soldiers with it. This weapon is known also as the ‘Hispanic Sword’, as it was adapted from the blades used by tribal warriors living in the Iberian Peninsula. Probably the most iconic weapon in the arsenal of a Roman legionary (a professional heavy infantryman serving in the Roman army after the Marian reforms) was the gladius (which is Latin for ‘sword’). A number of important factors contributed to their success as a military force, one of which being the weapons that they used. At the height of their power, the Roman Empire stretched from the British Isles in the north to Egypt in the south, and from the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Mesopotamia in the east. The Romans were arguably one of the most successful conquerors of the ancient world.
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