04-10-2006, 03:56 AM
Quote:Well, I don't know if this relates to the second argument, but Connolly says that the gladius was designed for the use by a smaller man (e.g. Italians) against a bigger man (e.g. Germans).
So when you have two men in the same height range, isn't the man with the gladius left at a disadvantage ?
If you adopt a low stance you can reach your opponent with a shorter weapon even though his is longer. If the legionaries crouched behind their scuta aiming for lower targets (i.e stomach, armpit) this would've allowed them to gain a geometrical advantage despite the sword length difference.
Michael Paglia