Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Gladius
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich.
GLADIUS (ξίφος). Like our sword; in some respects a general term, descriptive of a certain class of instruments, which admit of occasional variety both in size and shape; but more particularly used to designate the straight two-edged, cutting and thrusting glaives of the Greek and Roman soldiery, as contradistinguished from the curved and fine-pointed swords employed by foreign nations, or by particular classes of their own countrymen; all of which were designated by characteristic names, enumerated in the Classed Index, and illustrated under their proper titles. The Greek ξίφος had a leaf-shaped blade, no guard, but a short cross-bar at the hilt, as in the annexed example (Gladius/1.1), and the woodcuts at pp. 146. 148., all from fictile vases. It was not more than twenty inches long, and was suspended by a shoulder-strap (balteus) against the left side, as shown by the figure of Agamemnon at p. 73. The Romans used a sword of similar character to the Greek one until the time of Hannibal, when they adopted the Spanish or Celtiberian blade (Polyb. vi. 23.), which was straight-edged, longer and heavier than that of the Greeks (Florus. ii. 7. 9.), as will be readily understood from the annexed example (Gladius/1.2), representing a Roman gladius in its sheath, from an original found at Pompeii. On the triumphal arches and columns, the common soldiers wear their swords in the manner stated by Polybius (l. c.), on the right side, suspended by a shoulder-band, as shown by the engravings at pp. 6. 22. 136; the officers wear their swords on the left, attached to a belt round the waist (cinctorium, and woodcut, p. 159.); and the swords of the cavalry are longer than the weapons of the infantry.
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Gladius/1.1 -
Gladius/1.2
