Gladius was two-edged for cutting and had a tapered point for stabbing during thrusting. A solid grip was provided by a knobbed hilt added on, possibly with ridges for the fingers. Blade strength was achieved by welding together strips, in which case the sword had a channel down the center, or by fashioning a single piece of high-carbon steel, rhomboidal in cross-section. The owner's name was often engraved or punched on the blade.
The design was taken from the Spanish and it was commonly called 'the Spanish sword'.
Gladius. Although usually described as a short thrusting sword, it also worked well as a slashing sword. It should be noted that the full name for a gladius is Gladius Hispaniensisor hispanic sword.The Gladius was adopted by Rome during the third century BC. Made of Bronze or Iron, it is about 2 feet long and weighs 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. It was standard issue to every Roman Legion.
Most Roman soldiers used a gladius, a short sword. Some also welded javelins. The artillery of the Roman World was the ballista, a kind of crossbow which flung a large projectile, larger than a spear.
A Short Sword or just Sword
The most dangerous weapon in the Roman army was the Roman soldier. He was not only well armed with the sword, knife, several javelins and his shield, but he could think. He knew when to thrust with the sword, push with the shield and in which direction to turn both for protection and aggression. This was all part of his training and it made him more dangerous to the enemy than all the artillery in the legion.
In close combat weapon of Roman soldiers would the gladius, a short double-edged sword. The advantages of a short sword was that it was light, and easy to handle. Its use was quick and did not require too much energy. Above all, it was very effective for stabbing during thrusting both in individual combat and when pushing forward in close ranks. The effectiveness of the gladius for close combat can be seen when compared with the long Celtic sword. The latter was longer and heavier and was used for slashing. It had to be swung to hit the enemy. This meant that it had to be used at a longer distance and it was slower to hit the target than the gladius, whereas the gladius was effective at the closest range and quicker to use. Its type of use and its weight also caused the Celtic soldiers to get tired more quickly than the Romans . This difference is one of the things which gave the Romans an edge in their battles against the Celts.
Gladius. Although usually described as a short thrusting sword, it also worked well as a slashing sword. It should be noted that the full name for a gladius is Gladius Hispaniensisor hispanic sword.The Gladius was adopted by Rome during the third century BC. Made of Bronze or Iron, it is about 2 feet long and weighs 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. It was standard issue to every Roman Legion.
Gladius
The Gladius Hispaniensis was the short sword which was used by the Roman army. Its short size and light weight made it suitable for close, man-to-man infantry combat.
He would call it his gladius, his sword, his weapon. I'm not aware of any Roman soldier actually giving his sword a name. If you find out differently, let me know.
There are several double-edged swords in Roman culture. Is the spatha or the gladius what you're looking for?
Stone tablets, chariots, gladius' and coloseum fights
Gladius means sword.
Gladius means sword.
Gladius - video game - happened in 2003.
A gladius-wielding gladiator might have difficulty attacking a man armed with an AK-47.
Since in Roman times Latin was the language spoken, the word for sword is the Latin word "gladius." Besides the spear and shield, the sword was another main piece of military equipment used by Roman soldiers.
Gladius means sword in Latin.