Several European museums have at least one gladius in their collection, with the Sword of Tiberius as the most famous sword to have survived from the Roman world. Still, the gladius remains relevant to modern times as it is often seen in films and stage combats. In Pop Culture If you want to shop a large selection of Celtic swords you have also come to the right place! Here you can find historical Celtic swords from the La Tene and Hallstatt period. design-wise, these swords are often decorated with spirals or with an anthropomorphic figure. The falcata is a Celtiberian sword with a curved blade.

The pilun was essentially a javelin, and it was sometimes referred to as such, but the pilum was traditionally a heavier throwing spear than normal javelins. This was used for throwing but not massively common in the amphitheatre. It would be about 2ft long around 60cm and fitted with an iron shank on the end. Tridents and Nets Fascina (trident)

Tridents and Nets

The Sica is one of the many weapons that gladiators used, often by Thraex, gladiators from Thracia. These gladiators were often heavily geared with a small rectangular shield and a curved Sica sword. The Sica proved to be a lifesaver just as often as a lifetaker. Significant Contributions in the Study of European Arms and Armor, bibliography by the Arms and Armor Society of America.

Fights with the Sica were a joy to watch because of their very deadly capabilities. The curve made it possible for gladiators to commit very brutal and gory kills. Also, this gladiator sword could go against any of the roman swords and still emerge the victor. Criminals Timeline Celtic & prehistoric 15 Romans & Antiquity 43 Germanic & Saxon 5 Material Steel 1 Steel Sharp / semi sharp 49 Battle-ready (blunt) / light use 1 Battle-ready (blunt) / normal use 3 Type Single-handed sword 1 Brands All brands Deepeeka Marto Ulfberth Windlass Steelcrafts kovex arsThe imitation bone grip is another distinctive element of the Gladiator Spiculus. Contrasting beautifully with the dark-stained wooden pommel and guard, the hilt not only looks impressive, but also provides a firm and comfortable grip. Niko Silvester, From Rapier to Langsax: Sword Structure in the British Isles in the Bronze and Iron Ages 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. Flavius Vegetius Renatus (1996). Vegetius: Epitome of Military Science (in Spanish). Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-08-532391-0-9. Our Roman Gladiator Sword is crafted in the world famous Art Gladius factory in Toledo, Spain. The gilded hilt is heavily adorned with Roman style reliefs and features the letters SPQR (Senātus Populus que Rōmānus) on the guard. The large pommel is topped with an Imperial Eagle (Aquila). The Pompeii style stainless steel blade is richly adorned with engravings. This sword is designed for display only.

As the popularity of gladiator battles grew, new varieties of warrior emerged. No longer did they dress according to where they came from. Now gladiators were identified by the sorts of armour and weapon they carried.Below are the weapons used by the gladiators or their foes in the amphitheatres of Rome. Swords Gladius (sword) Gladiator battles were held at huge venues called amphitheatres. “Arena”, the word we use for this type of building today, actually referred to the floor of the amphitheatre that was covered in sand to soak up all the spilt blood. 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) a b Nicodemi, Walter; Mapelli, Carlo; Venturini, Roberto; Riva, Riccardo (2005). "Metallurgical Investigations on Two Sword Blades of 7th and 3rd Century B.C. Found in Central Italy". ISIJ International. 45 (9): 1358–1367. doi: 10.2355/isijinternational.45.1358.

Gladii were 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 lasso was simply a rope with a loop that one latched onto a head or a limb could be pulled tight and would trap its wearer. This was used by the retiarius styled laquerius gladiator. Bow and arrows Arcus (bow) The lancea was a short javelin used to throw easily without having to carry to much weight around. Pilum (spear/javelin) Throughout history, the Roman gladius continued to reduce in size. The earliest type had a blade length between 64 and 69 centimeters, but later examples were about 42 to 55 centimeters long. The Pompeii gladius was the smallest and the lightest of the three blades. However, the blades of later Roman swords, such as the spatha, were significantly longer. Sword Mounting Mainz Gladius Sword Mounting ( Source) The short sword served as the primary blade of the Roman legionary and auxiliary infantry for more than three centuries. By the 2nd century CE, the spatha, a longer cavalry sword, replaced short swords of all kinds.

Some fought with fishing nets

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