About Roman Swords

History

• In the fourth century BCE, the Gauls sacked Rome; a humiliating turn of events that showed the Romans that their adoption of Greek-like warfare and Hoplite weaponry was wholly inadequate for the task of fighting barbarian hordes and belligerent neighbors. Over the course of the next century, the Roman legions reformed themselves and became the most feared military force of the ancient Mediterranean for centuries. An important part of this reform was the introduction of the Gladius Hispaniensis, merely called the "Gladius."

Significance

• The Gladius was an important adaptation for the Romans; it was a versatile sword that became the primary weapon of the Roman Legions. Based on a Gaul sword, the Gladius had a simple, straight blade with a diamond cross-section and was about 27 inches long. The blade was sharpened on both sides and tapered to a sharp point at the end of the blade. The grip was wrapped in fish scale hide, or a similar, slightly rough leather and capped with a round pommel that counter-balanced the sword. The Gladius had no crosspiece between the grip and the blade.

Function

• The Gladius was used in conjunction with a new type of shield the Romans had designed called the "Scutum." Unlike Greek shields which were rounded, the Scutum was a tall, rectangular shield that was curved like a bow. This offered greater protection to the Legionaire as he pushed forward toward the enemy. With the Scutum for cover, the Roman soldier could stab at the enemy with his Gladius; typically, stabs to the abdomen were invariably fatal. Alternatively, because the Gladius had sharpened sides, the Roman soldier could also slash at opponent's face or legs as well.

Types

• Gladiuses evolved over time into variations of the first Gladius. German variations found in Mainz were slightly longer than original Gladius swords. The invasion of the British Isles was accomplished in 43 CE with what is called the Thames or Fulham Gladius; the prime example having been dredged from the Thames. The Fulham Gladius had a slightly hourglass shape which placed a great amount of weight at the tip of the sword; perhaps to chop at enemies with. The Pompeii swords were the next evolution of the Gladius, the blade was slightly more longer than the Mainz or Fulham blade but lacked the curves of the Fulham.

Features

• The Gladius was constructed of high-strength steel; a mixture of iron ore with naturally-occurring impurities that strengthened it to which high amounts of carbon were introduced to produce a strong, durable metal called steel. Steel was superior to bronze in its strength but the Romans had less access to tin--a vital component in making bronze--and so steel represented a more reliable material for weaponry.