Roman swords

WHAT ARE THE ROMAN SWORDS LIKE?

GLADIUS SWORD

Used by the legions of Ancient Rome (3rd century BC), this sword came to replace the traditional Roman sword, considered one of the most practical, strategic and deadly of the time. It became the statutory weapon of the Roman armies for many centuries, giving way to the name "Gladiator".

With an estimated length of half a meter, although it was also made to measure and a straight and wide double-edged blade. Made with high quality iron.

It was excellent for Roman formations as it was light and the blade was perfectly shaped to line up with elbows at a 90 degree angle. It was used together with the popular Scutum. The legionnaires were practical when it came to killing their enemies and sinking the sword 4-5 centimeters into the body was enough to knock them down, they also gave cuts, which was not so useful since the enemy could wear chain mail. It was the one that caused the most deaths and founded an improvement of the Falcata by changing the metal, which made them lighter.

The origin of the Roman Gladius is not known, but it is thought that it was an evolution of the Celtiberian swords used in the Second Punic War. These swords were suitable for both cutting and thrusting and the Romans were quick to copy it, calling their new design Gladius Hispaniensis.

They were "antenna" type swords, very practical for initiative attacks, since being shorter than usual they allowed quick thrusts, it is considered one of the best swords in history. His combination with the Roman shield (Scutum) was deadly, the Roman soldier stopped the opponent's blow with the scutum and countered with a quick and deadly thrust. Originally they were very similar to the Iberian sword that they copied, with a long point and double edge, but it evolved to simpler forms, until it reached the "Pompeya" model, its simplest form, with a completely straight blade.

It was a light sword, the cross of the blade was perfectly coupled to align it with the elbow at 90º. The soldiers knew how to use it perfectly and knew the seriousness of the wounds in the groin or thighs, which bled the enemy. It caused a large number of casualties especially in the Gallic War.

SPATHA SWORD

It was a white weapon used by the Roman army, originated in the s. I AD giving it a larger size (70-100 centimeters of blade) so that it would be more effective by the cavalry corps. Being heavier and longer, it allowed to have greater distance with the enemy and was more to hit by slashing. It reflects the change in the skills of Roman soldiers, who gradually gave up the aggressiveness of melee assaults.

After the fall of Rome, this model continued to be used by the Vikings between 800 and 1100. It is the evolutionary link between the "Gladius" and the "medieval sword". The word sword comes from the name "Spatha".

LIFE AND SWORD OF JULIUS CAESAR

Gaius Julius Caesar was born on July 13, 100 BC and spent his childhood in a patrician family. From the age of 10 he was taught by Marco Antonio Gnifón , an expert in Greek and Roman philology. A student who took advantage of the teachings received, he improved his language and studied oratory, both essential things to succeed in politics. His father reached the urban preture. At the age of 15 his father dies and he marries Cornelia, daughter of Cinna , a very powerful man in Rome. Julio César led a peaceful life, free from political tensions, and inclined to read, especially the theater. César had a daughter with Cornelia, to whom he professed a pronounced paternal love. Back then he was made a priest of Jupiter, the Roman god of gods.

In the year 82, the consul and Roman general Sulla, in his eagerness to punish the supporters of the popular party, ordered Caesar to throw them out of his side, which he refused and went into exile in Asia. He was persecuted, but through the efforts made by the priestesses of Vesta, Sulla pardoned him. But Caesar preferred not to return to Rome and placed himself under the orders of the propraetor Termes. He received a decoration for his performance as a military man. Being in the service of Termes, he was commissioned to the court of King Nicomedes IV, King of Bithynia, with whom he came to have a special friendship. Once Sulla was dead, Caesar returned to Rome, thinking that he was already prepared to thrive in Roman politics, but after some setbacks he thought that he should improve his training, and studied rhetoric with Apollonius de Molon, thus becoming a magnificent orator, only surpassed by Cicero.

  With a small army, he defeated a handful of pirates who lived by robbery in the Mediterranean, keeping an important booty, which together with the inheritance left to him by King Nicomedes IV, allowed him to enjoy a quiet economic position. From then on he began a brilliant military and political career. In 68 he was quaestor, in 65 seat mayor. At the age of 27 he achieved the honor of being pontifex maximus . Being quaestor he traveled to Hispania Ulterior, and in 62, already being propraetor, to be sent to this same area, doing a great job, propping up his command authority over a great army, which opened the gates of Rome for him. aim for the most.

He is appointed consul in the year 59, and to stop the Senate's equites, he proposed the creation of a triumvirate made up of Pompey, Crassus and Caesar. He took Calpuernia as his wife , repudiating Pompeii, accused without evidence of adultery, and acquitted of it. It is then that Cesar said one of his best-known phrases: "Cesar's wife must not only be chaste, but also appear to be." Meanwhile Crassus continued in Syria, where he died fighting against the Parthians, and with Pompey in Spain, Caesar seized all power. He named Clodius tribune of the plebs, who was the executor of the elimination of his mentor's enemies.

In his province of Gaul, Caesar began a campaign to integrate it into his domain. It was a long and hard campaign. One third of the population died and another third was sold into slavery. The war actions were constant, and ended with the surrender of all the Gallic towns, in the year 50. From the economic point of view it was a great success, not only for the troops, officers and Caesar himself, but for the city of Rome, which received a large part of the gold confiscated from the Gauls .

Given Caesar's victories, and his great popularity, the Senate began to consider Caesar a dangerous enemy for the Roman Republic and appointed Pompey as sole consul. Then Caesar, who was in Gaul, next to the Rubicon River, ordered his troops to cross the river to go to Rome, and pronounced another of his famous phrases Alea jacta est , "the die is cast". This event would be the start of the war against Pompey. He entered Rome, ordered the meeting of the Senate and imposed his provisions. The final battle occurred in Pharsalus. Caesar defeated Pompey, and he fled to Alexandria where he was assassinated by Ptolemy's soldiers.

Caesar decides to intervene in Egypt with two legions, about 6,000 Romans. He has the firm intention of putting an end to the disputes between the brothers and husbands who held the title of kings of Egypt, Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra VII. Caesar falls in love with Cleopatra and they have a son, Caesarion . In addition, he gives Egypt to Cleopatra to the detriment of Ptolemy. The people riot and close to Caesar in the royal palace. He lived there in seclusion for 4 months. When the reinforcements sent by Mitridades arrived , Cesár carried out an ingenious military action that ended in a battle, in which the Egyptians suffered the worst, and in which Ptolemy died. Cleopatra later went to Rome, and there she lived until the death of Caesar. The dictator had not yet pacified Rome, so he took part in different battles until he ended any source of resistance. Then he goes to the Senate and says another famous phrase Veni , vidi , vinci . I arrived, I saw and I conquered.

Caesar was, therefore, the total master of the Roman republic and of the entire Mediterranean. Caesar was imperator and dictator. As such, he developed policies designed to change the way of life for the Romans. He claimed to be the total king of all the limits of Rome, because he was convinced that only in this way could he end the Parthians. This was the final straw in the Senate, and 60 top senators banded together to remove Cesar and defend the Republic. The conspiracy was directed by Casio, Casca and Brutus, who seems to be the son of a lover of Cesar's, and of himself. The conspirators decided not to go against Marco Antonio, Caesar's lieutenant. She went to the Senate for the Ides of March, despite Calpurnia begging her not to, as she had a bad feeling. When Caesar sat down, they attacked him with their daggers. Caesar received 23 stab wounds, and according to the chronicles, when Brutus plunged his dagger into Caesar's body, he exclaimed "you too, my son." Caesar fell dead at the feet of Pompey's statue.

WHAT WAS THE SWORD OF JULIUS CAESAR LIKE?

Roman swords, the famous " gladius " were very similar, but the one carried by Julius Caesar was a very peculiar sword. Julius Caesar's Gladius was manufactured in a very special way, it had been forged with great brilliance. Its blade was inscribed with many Roman insignia. On the garrison, the inscribed motifs were made of gold, and this precious material could even be seen in some fragments of the blade.

There is no unanimity in what was the weight of the sword. Some attribute 2 kg to it. of weight and another 1.5 kg., and given the composition of the garrison it shone in the distance.

Within the historical Roman swords, the swords wielded by the Romans are highly coveted by collectors, and obviously Julius Caesar's is the most sought after among these swords.

The gladius is of Iberian origin and began to be used by the Romans in the second Punic war. It was wide and short, and very effective in hand-to-hand combat. The blade has no indentations. The handle is made of wood covered with leather. It seems that it measured around 70 cm.

WHAT WAS THE SWORD OF JULIUS CAESAR CALLED?

In the conquest of Gaul, Julius Caesar fought with a sword called Crocea Cros, which means Yellow Death.

WHAT DOES GLADIUS MEAN?

The term gladius comes from Latin and means short sword.