Roman shield

[Matthew Amt]

i was more meaning like grips and hilt alterations, things that a gladiator could do himself rather than wapping out his forge! :evil:

Ah, gotcha. Those were generally wood, bone, or ivory--can't get much lighter. Even if they were metal (and I'm not sure there is firm evidence that they ever were), they'd actually serve to counterbalance the weight of the blade. Plus, they'd make the hilt more effective for smacking your opponent in the face! But again, if that were seen as a notable advantage, military swords would have been made that way, and they just weren't.

Vale,

Matthew