This 9 cm long replica of a Roman short sword or gladius is made of lead-free pewter. It comes with a full colour information card which has pictures of Roman soldiers and gladiators on the front. It also contains historical information explaining what a gladius was and how it was used. The sword is mounted with the card in a clear presentation box.
The gladius was the main sword of ancient Roman foot soldiers and was also used by Roman gladiators.
The "classic" Roman short sword was a double-edged weapon, thought to have originated in Spain. The blade was approximately 50-60 cm long and about 5 cm wide. It was usually made of iron and the hilt consisted of three parts: a rounded guard, a hilt with four finger projections and a spherical pommel.
The Roman infantry soldier, called a legionary, usually led the charge with the shield and stabbed the gladius. Because of its smaller size, the gladius was ideal for close combat where larger swords would be difficult to use.
The gladiator was usually a slave, or less often a free or paid volunteer who fought as an armed combatant in arenas or amphitheaters.
- Material: jewelled metal
- Imported from the UK
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