06-23-2004, 04:25 AM
On an earlier thread in the Re-enactment and Reconstruction forum I was asking members about their reproduction Roman swords, specifically the length of the grip. My research (with what little evidence I have access to) suggests some very interesting possibilities.<br>
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From what I gather, the Romans equipped the gladius with a grip that was generally shorter than we often assume it to have been, and this is reflected in modern recreations of the gladius. My (possibly very incorrect) hypothesis, based on this evidence, is that the Roman gladius was a stabbing weapon first and foremost. Its secondary function as a slashing weapon did not include fencing or sophisticated cutting, but was restricted more to crude chopping.<br>
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There aren’t many good-quality surviving depictions of Roman soldiers using the gladius in combat, certainly too few to be used as overwhelming evidence, but some of those that do survive tend to suggest a close or “tightâ€ÂÂ
<br>
From what I gather, the Romans equipped the gladius with a grip that was generally shorter than we often assume it to have been, and this is reflected in modern recreations of the gladius. My (possibly very incorrect) hypothesis, based on this evidence, is that the Roman gladius was a stabbing weapon first and foremost. Its secondary function as a slashing weapon did not include fencing or sophisticated cutting, but was restricted more to crude chopping.<br>
<br>
There aren’t many good-quality surviving depictions of Roman soldiers using the gladius in combat, certainly too few to be used as overwhelming evidence, but some of those that do survive tend to suggest a close or “tightâ€ÂÂ
