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Livius, Titus. "The History of Rome, Vol. II". 7.10. Archived from the original on August 30, 2002 . Retrieved 25 November 2010. The lancea was a short javelin used to throw easily without having to carry to much weight around. Pilum (spear/javelin)
The standard weight of the Sica sword was anywhere from 0.9 to 1.6 lbs (400 to 750 grams). This means that this shortsword was a very light weapon to use compared to other weapons at the time. The low weight combined with the deadly curved blade makes it a fast weapon that can easily cut or pierce flesh. Uses of the Sica Sword A Sica being used to behead a ballistic gelatin dummy- Credits: Forged in Fire The Romans believed that their short sword originated in Iberia, a region in Europe occupied by Portugal and Spain. Hence, the name “ gladius Hispaniensis ” suggests its Spanish origin. The Celtiberian ‘antenna’ swords, along with a Castilian La Tène sword, were likely the inspiration for the Roman short sword. M. C. Bishop (2016). The Gladius: The Roman Short Sword (in Spanish). Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-14-728158-6-6.The articles in the links below often differ both in theory and in detail. They should not necessarily be understood as fully professional articles but should be appreciated for their presentational value.
Livius, Titus (known as Livy) (1982). Rome and Italy: Books VI-X of the History of Rome from its Foundation, translated by Betty Radice. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-044388-2. The “ Spanish sword” of the Republican legionary, the gladius Hispaniensis was the earliest type of Roman short sword. It was the longest of the three blades, measuring between 64 and 69 centimeters long and around 4 to 5.5 centimeters wide. It had a narrow blade with a long point and a large pommel at the end of the hilt which served as a counterweight. 2. Mainz Gladius ( Source) The cross-sections of the gladius blade suggest that there was no way of forging it. The Roman swordsmiths used the so-called piling technique by forge-welding harder high carbon steel edges to softer cores to create a strong and flexible blade. Blade Shape and Appearance Today, the Sica sword is primarily used for LARPing (live-action roleplaying) and reenactments. If you manage to find an event that has Roman soldiers or gladiators, you will almost definitely see the Sica sword. Sica replicas are also commonly used as decorations in someone’s home to represent freedom – something that the gladiators yearned for. The most common scabbard for the Sica sword was made out of leather since it was lighter to carry and could easily be hidden along your body. Today, some scabbards are made out of wood or even metal. The scabbard will always be curved to match the angled tip of the Sica sword. Length & Size A Sica shortsword, commonly used in combination with deadly and fast strikes – Credits: Supreme ReplicasGladius is a Latin masculine noun. The nominative plural of it is gladiī. However, gladius in Latin refers to any sword, not only the sword described here. The word appears in literature as early as the plays of Plautus ( Casina, Rudens). John William Humphrey, John Peter Oleson, Andrew Neil Sherwood, Greek and Roman Technology: a sourcebook Here we will cover as many, if not all of the gladiator weapons commonly used in the Roman amphitheatres. Weapons The Pompeii gladius was named by modern historians after the Roman town of Pompeii. This type of gladius was by far the most popular one. Four examples of the sword type were found in Pompeii, with others turning up elsewhere. The sword has parallel cutting edges and a triangular tip. This is the shortest of the gladii. It is often confused with the spatha, which was a longer, slashing weapon used initially by mounted auxilians. Over the years, the Pompeii got longer, and these later versions are called semi- spathes. The length of the blade was 45–50cm (18–20in). The length of the sword is 60–65cm (24–26in). The width of the blade is 5cm (2.0in). The sword weighs 700g (1.5lb) (wooden hilt).
Modern English words derived from gladius include gladiator ("swordsman") and gladiolus ("little sword", from the diminutive form of gladius), a flowering plant with sword-shaped leaves.
It was of course common for the gladiators to have a class or a style of gladiator that they would fight as. This class, like a thraex or a murmillo would determine exactly the weapons these gladiators would use, so each class had it own unique weapon or set of weapons.
The Vetulonian sword was crafted by the pattern welding process from five blooms reduced at a temperature of 1,163°C (2,125°F). Five strips of varying carbon content were created. A central core of the sword contained the highest: 0.15–0.25% carbon. On its edges were placed four strips of low-carbon steel, 0.05–0.07%, and the whole thing was welded together by forging on the pattern of hammer blows. A blow increased the temperature sufficiently to produce a friction weld at that spot. Forging continued until the steel was cold, producing some central annealing. The sword was 58cm (23in) long. [17] The blade of the Sica sword is easily its most distinguishing characteristic. It’s a single or double-edge blade that curves gradually or sharply, depending on the design, in the last third of the blade. The blade of the Sica is full tang, meaning that it goes inside the handle as well.Significant Contributions in the Study of European Arms and Armor, bibliography by the Arms and Armor Society of America. Gladiatorial fighting started in the 3rd century BCE at private events, but it developed into public games played in arenas. The Roman gladiators were prisoners, volunteers, or slaves who fought for entertainment. Repeated victories brought freedom to the slaves and social standing for the volunteers. The word gladius acquired a general meaning as any type of sword. This use appears as early as the 1st century AD in the Biography of Alexander the Great by Quintus Curtius Rufus. [19] The republican authors, however, appear to mean a specific type of sword, which is now known from archaeology to have had variants. The Sica sword is a very short sword that could have been considered a dagger or knife by the ancient Romans. It is slightly shorter than the Roman Gladius and is nearly perfectly straight for the first two-thirds. After that, it curves very strongly, giving it a unique and unusual characteristic. Blade
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