Roman Sword Letter Opener

The Gladius was the primary sword of ancient Roman foot soldiers and was also used by Roman gladiators. The 'classical' Roman short sword was a double-bladed weapon thought to be of Spanish origin. It had a blade between 50-60cm long and about 5cm wide. The blade was generally made of iron with the handle normally consisting of three pieces, a rounded hilt, a grip with four finger ridges and a bulbous pommel. A Roman foot soldier called a legionary, generally led with his shield and thrust with his gladius. Due to its smaller size the gladius was ideal for close quarter fighting. The gladiator was generally a slave, or more rarely a free or paid volunteer, who fought to the death as an armed combatant in arenas or amphitheatres. Different gladiators specialised in different weapons and tactics, however the gladius was a common weapon of the Roman gladiators.