Gladius

[barca]

I am interested in knowing when was the first recorded use of the gladius by a Roman Army. They were certainly using it during the 2nd Punic War. Most sources state that it originated from the Spanish or Iberian sword, but when did the Romans first start using it?

[Hamilcar Barca]

No official date, Polybius describes the Roman army of the third century in great detail but makes no specific reference to the introduction of the gladius. We can however be certain that it emerged sometime in the early to mid 3rd century BC.

[barca]

No official date, Polybius describes the Roman army of the third century in great detail but makes no specific reference to the introduction of the gladius. We can however be certain that it emerged sometime in the early to mid 3rd century BC.

14666[/snapback]

 

 

Is it safe to assume that they did not have the Gladius prior to the 2nd Punic War? Is there any evidence that they used it in the 1st Punic War? If not, did the Roman army at the start of the 2nd Punic War have the Gladius? Was it the Roman campaigns in Spain (Scipio) that introduced the Gladius?

[Hamilcar Barca]

Like I said, there is no official date. It should also be noted that only 4 signifiant land battles tookplae during the 1st PW, and all but one are described in the scantiest of detail. I would however say that, yes, it is safe to assume that the Romans were using the gladius before Hannibal invaded Italy.

[jermus22]

Although there were only four major land battles in the First Punic War, much of Rome's early success at sea came from the corvus, which essentially turned sea battles into land ones. By allowing the legionaires to come to grips with the Carthaginian levies and mercenaries in hand-to-hand combat, the Romans were able to gain a distinct advantage in naval conflicts.

 

BTW, I read in an abridged version of Lew Wallace's "Ben Hur" an interesting description of the Roman use of the gladius. Not sure if it's accurate, but the paragraph described how the Romans primarily used it for thrusting at the face and chest rather than taking broad sweeps and cuts like the Gauls did. The Romans also apparently hid behind the scutum and even used it to drive their opponents back. I wonder if this might explain the Romans' success in fighting. Any thoughts/info on this?

[Imperator Marzullius]

I wonder who invented it.