Salve! (That’s Latin for ‘good morning’.) I’m the Greek Gumshoe and I’ve hunted out another weapon for you. It is called the Gladius.
The gladius is a short sword that is about 20 to 25 inches long. It had a couple of razor sharp edges and just one sharp point which was deadly to enemies when they were stabbed. The hilt design could be super jeweled and ornate or it could be super simple depending on who owned it. If an officer owned it then it would be decorated, and if a regular soldier owned it, it would be plain.
The hilt of the gladius was called the capulus. It had a rounded grip with four ridges for fingers. The way most soldiers wore the weapon was at their left side although some people argue that it was worn at the right side. This could make sense if someone was left-handed, but not if they were right-handed.
The gladius stayed the main weapon of the Romans for a long time–well into the middle of the second century A.D.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for today so tune in next time when we’ll hunt out another weapon
