04-10-2006, 11:07 AM
But by the 3rd C most actual close combatants were of provincial origin (swords are longer), whereas in earlier days the army was mostly latin (swords were shorter). The former were on average taller than the latter; all makes sense to me.
Changes aren't made overnight, so as the average soldier became taller the swords still grew shorter in keeping with traditional training and tactics, but then the increasing lack of citizen recruits drove the gladius length longer to fit more with the ever increasing height of recruits from the provinces. Those men probably brought with them elements of their own martial traditions which through necessity became more and more accepted by the army, especially if more officers, the decision makers, were also of non-latin provincial origin.
Theoretically.
Changes aren't made overnight, so as the average soldier became taller the swords still grew shorter in keeping with traditional training and tactics, but then the increasing lack of citizen recruits drove the gladius length longer to fit more with the ever increasing height of recruits from the provinces. Those men probably brought with them elements of their own martial traditions which through necessity became more and more accepted by the army, especially if more officers, the decision makers, were also of non-latin provincial origin.
Theoretically.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
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