Gladius
Gladius is a Latin term used to designate a sword, which is applied in a modern way to the weapon used by the legions of Ancient Rome since the III a. C. until the third century approximately and whose origin goes back to the Celtiberian sword of Hispania, being therefore known in Latin as gladius hispaniensis, or "Hispanic sword". It had an estimated length of half a meter, although they could be made to measure for the user, and a straight and wide double-edged blade. From this word "gladiator" derives.
Origin
The origin of the Roman gladius was taken from the swords used by the Celtiberian mercenaries during the Second Punic War. The historians Polybius and Livio say that these mercenaries carried a sword as excellent for cutting as for thrusting, and later claim that the Roman army did not wait until the end of the war to adopt such a design, which they called "gladius hispaniensis" in Latin or "iberiké machaira" in Greek. This name would come to indicate both its format and its Hispanic origin. This sword came to replace the traditional Roman sword, which is believed to be based on the Greek xiphos, and became the standard weapon of Roman armies for five centuries, until it was gradually replaced by the Germanic spatha during the Middle Empire.
Features
These weapons were of the so-called "antennae,"biglobular," or "carp-tongue" sword type; used by both Celts and Celtiberians, very practical for initiative attacks, since being short and light an attack could be launched very quickly, especially thrusts, for which they had a long point. They could also be used by slashing, which often didn't do much good, since the enemy could be wearing chain mail; but, in case they ever had to cut, they were double-edged. The original Hispanic swords were measured for each person and made of high quality iron, which was treated in a special way, resulting in very good weapons. It is considered by many as the best sword that has ever existed from a practical and strategic point of view and the one that caused the most deaths in antiquity.
The gladius was designed for quick thrusting attacks. This was very practical, since the Roman legionary who carried the sword took shelter behind a scutum; once the enemy unloaded his blow uselessly on the shield or armor of the Roman, or was about to do so, the Roman launched a quick thrust with his agile gladius , and thus stabbed and killed the opponent. The gladius was replaced by the spatha, copied from the Germanic barbarians.
Recent archaeological discoveries of very old versions of the gladius suggest, however, that the Hispanic origin of this weapon is actually related to an Iberian variant of the «La Tène» type sword, named after by those found in La Tène and other archaeological sites of the culture of the same name Gallic. In what is now France, this sword was lengthening and becoming more of a cut, even being manufactured without a point, while in Hispania a smaller size was preserved and more suitable for the double function of the cut and thrust. This Spanish version would be inspired by the original Roman gladius, which, over time, would become shorter and shorter: more of a stabbing.
Originally, the Romans used a type with characteristics very similar to the Iberian original, with a double edge and a long point, capable of penetrating chain mail with a vigorous thrust. But it evolved into simpler forms, until it reached the "Pompeii" model, named after the swords found in that city. This model has a completely straight blade, and the tip is shorter. It is said that this is so because, since the barbarian enemies of Rome almost never wore armor, a shorter point was sufficient and it ran less risk of "jamming" the point. into the victim's ribs by impaling her. But the most likely reason is simply that they were simpler and therefore faster and cheaper to make.
Varieties of the gladius
- Hispaniensis: The oldest and the one before Roman use. It was originally used by the Celtish and other Iberian tribes during the Punic Wars, and they were so effective that the Romans decided to adopt them later.
- MAJOR: The gladius model «maguncia», so called by the city of Maguncia, is similar to «hispaniensis»; so many experts considered it to be the same model, but its adaptation to the needs and style of struggle of the Romans makes it different.
- Pompeii: It is probably the best known model of gladius. This version was evolving according to the way to make the war in Rome and stands out for having a shorter and more overwhelmed blade, and variations in the grip.
Gladius technique
The gladius was a light sword, excellent for Roman formations at the time it was in use. The crossing of the blade gave it a perfect shape to be aligned with the elbow, forming a 90º angle. It was used together with the popular scutum. The Roman legionnaires gave quick and short thrusts with it, and caused serious and probably fatal wounds in the abdomen, stomach, chest and pubis. The legionnaires were trained about the weak points of the body and knew the seriousness of the wounds caused to the enemy in groins or thighs, which caused bleeding. The enemy could take time to die but he quickly lost his reflexes and strength due to the severe hemorrhage, and he could become dizzy from the effort, after which he was obviously knocked out. Nor did the legionnaires disdain to thrust into the knees, hamstrings or heel (cut tendons) which rendered the adversary useless. If the enemy had a low guard, the legionnaire could attack from top to bottom, wounding the face or neck. The possibility of receiving a direct blow to the face was highly feared by the enemy soldiers, causing them to unprotect their lower parts more frequently.
As examples of campaigns in which the effectiveness of the gladius was attested, we have those of the Gallic War, in which the Roman soldiers of Julius Caesar could attack in stages and synchronize the ranks to replace the tired and wounded with fresh soldiers from the rear. Although the gladius was also effective if the enemy tried to break the wing of the cohort.