Roman Sword Types
Roman swords types fall into two main categories -- short and long. Roman legionnaires used short swords in battles that involved dense mobs, where they needed effective slashing capabilities. Soldiers also wielded short swords in close combat and mountainous regions. Cavalrymen, who fought from mounts, opted for longer swords. Experts in designing swords to overcome any disadvantages on the battlefield, the Romans didn't hesitate to incorporate new sword technology from the Spanish, Greeks and Celts.
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Short
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Roman legionnaires used short swords in two situations -- charging into an enemy horde or fighting in close combat that required a quick and fatal forward thrust. Greek in origin, the hoplite sword was a simple, straight-edged blade with an arrowhead tip and a blunt handle for maximum grip. In the midst of conflict, a legionnaire would thrust a spear first, and then draw forth the hoplite to slash opponents. Designed to penetrate armor, the Mainz/Fulham-type gladius was 16 to 22 inches long and tapered to a long point. To do battle with hordes that did not wear armor, the Romans used the Pompeii-type gladius. This 2-inch-wide blade with a diamond-shaped tip had a weighted grip, which enabled speedy slashes.
Long
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Originally from Spain, the gladius Hispaniensis was a 2-inch-wide cut-and-thrust sword, which thinned to an extended point. Blade lengths ranged from 25 to 27 inches. Because it was made from steel, the gladius Hispaniensis was a superior blade to Roman swords constructed from iron. Soldiers used this sword to furrow through fortified battle lines at a high speed. Ranging in size from 26 to 36 inches, the spatha was quickly adopted by the Roman cavalry due to its improved reach. Although the first spathas were single edged, they evolved to become double-edged weapons in the 4th century. Variations in the spatha included shorter swords used for close combat by soldiers who required greater maneuverability.
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Practice
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Wooden practice swords were used for training and honing swordsmanship. Soldiers used staves, which were twice the weight of a sword, to strengthen their upper bodies and arms and boost endurance. According to Flavius Vegetius Renatis, who tracked training methods for the Roman army, soldiers engaged in sword practice two times a day against human-sized posts. The Romans employed techniques to improve aim and deliver strikes to critical parts of the body.
Specialized
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During the Roman Empire's existence, gladiators were either enemy soldiers held hostage or criminals. They used special swords to survive against attacks by groups or wild beasts in the Colosseum arena. Originally Greek in design, the Gladius Graecus was a short gladiator sword made of copper or bronze and shaped like a leaf. A commonly used sword by the Dacians, the Sica was a 16- to 18-inch-long curved scimitar.
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