Gladius measures

[Avatar]

I was just curious wether anyone could tell me the "correct" measures of the gladius, i.e length(blade and total) and blade with. For the record, I'm 5'11(if it matters).

Thanks!

[Marcus Mummius]

Could you specify the type of gladius? Hispaniensis, mainz, fulham, pompei? The length depends on the type :wink:

Also read this: http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... ht=gladius

Matthew Amt gave the dimensions for a good Pompei gladius in that thread.

Vale,

[Avatar]

I found an article on Wikipeda, listing types and measurements, but since I know that wikipeda isn't foolproof, I'll ask for confirmation here.

gladius hispaniensis: Used from 200 B.C. until 20 B.C.. Blade length 64 cm - 69 cm. Sword length 74 cm - 81 cm. Sword width 5 cm. Short blade, broad towards the handle.
Mainz: Blade width 7-8 cm. Blade length 66 cm - 70 cm. Sword mass: 1.2 Kg - 1.6 Kg.
Fulham or Mainz-Fulham: Used from the start of I century A.D. until the end of the same century. The conjunction point betweed Mainz and Pompei. Some consider it an evolution or the same as the Mainz type. Blade length 70 cm. blade width: 6 cm at the base, 4 cm in the middle, 7 cm in the end.
Pompei (or Pompeianus or Pompeii): used from circa 50 A.D., with parallel cutting edges and a triangular tip. Original blade length of 60 cm, blade length from circa 75 A.D. of 68 cm - 71 cm. From circa 100 A.D. of 83 cm (semi-spatha). From now the Roman Gladius will be of middle-length.

Are these "correct"? I am, by the way, thinking of the Mainz type.

[Tarbicus]

The Pompeii blade can be as short as 42 cm.

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

:roll: The article of Wikipedia is not correct. (except probably for the hispaniensis...)



The width of a pompei is generally around the 4 cm and the lenght 42-55 cm (only blade). You can see some exemples at the last "Exercitus", review published by the Ermine Street Guard.

You can find some measures here:

http://www.unc.edu/courses/rometech/pub ... HE_REP.htm

[Tarbicus]

I forgot one of my own threads:

I found one dated to the 3rd C. in a paper Roman Inlaid Swords by Horbacz and Oledzki (JRMES Vol. 9), which is roughly 40 cm from the point to the end of the tang, found at Walldurn-Rheinhardsachsen. I doubt you could call it a spatha, considering the size. There's also another in Vol. 5 that's around 38 cm.

Militaria Sisciensa cites 35cm as a figure.

[hansvl]

Here are some measurements for Pompei-type gladii I happened to write down during a study.

(total length - length blade - width blade)

in mm
Hofstade: 648 - 489 - 44 to 37
Avenches: 630 - 495 - 35 to 25
Kotla: 632 - 488 - 44
Lux: 580 - 447 - 40
Mainz-Brand: 635 - 485 - 40
Newstead: 663 - 495 - 51
Sladkovicovo: 620 - 460 - 40
Windisch: 640 - 444 - 38

Hope this helps a bit.

Hans