Roman & Greek Swords

The success of movies like 300, and TV shows like Rome have made Greek and Roman swords more popular than ever. These weapons where fearsome in their time and they were used to conquer most of the known world. The sheer practicality of both designs is a marvel, and modern replicas give you the chance to see what these weapons felt like.

The Greek sword carried by the hoplites came in two varieties. The first type was called the xiphos, and they were leaf shaped blades with two sharpened edges. The second type was the makhiara and it was a single edged blade. Both swords were short, (about 2 feet long) and they were used primarily as hacking weapons. These swords were made from bronze and copper, and later on they eventually started employing iron. The spear was the primary weapon of the hoplite and the sword was only drawn as a secondary option.

Because of the fighting methods of the Greeks, their sword techniques were simple, but effective. All fighting strategies were designed around group formations, with the fighters bunched together with their shields brandished in protection. The sword was a backup weapon and it was employed with simple hacking motions and brutal close range thrusts.

The Roman sword was called the gladius, and they were more reliant on their swords than the Greeks. The gladius was an iron weapon derived from the basic design of the Greek xiphos swords. It was also a short, close range blade, but eventually they evolved to become straighter than the xiphos, and were used almost exclusively for stabbing instead of hacking.