![]() The word appears in literature as early as the plays of Plautus ( Casina, Rudens). However, gladius in Latin refers to any sword, not only the sword described here. Look up gladius in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. A soldier generally led with the shield and thrust with the sword. Conventionally, soldiers threw pila to disable the enemy's shields and disrupt enemy formations before engaging in close combat, for which they drew the gladius. Ī fully equipped Roman legionary after the reforms of Gaius Marius was armed with a shield ( scutum), one or two javelins ( pila), a sword ( gladius), often a dagger ( pugio), and, perhaps in the later empire period, darts ( plumbatae). New variants of the gladius, such as the "Mainz gladius" and the "Pompeii gladius", were used from the first century AD and during the early centuries of the Roman Empire in the third century AD the Roman infantry replaced the gladius with the " spatha" (which was already used by Roman cavalrymen). From the 3rd century BC, however, the soldiers of the Roman Republic adopted a sword based on the Celtic sword used by the Celtiberians in Hispania late into the Punic Wars, known in Latin as the gladius hispaniensis, meaning " Hispanic-type sword". Linguistically, within Latin, the Latin word also came to mean "sword" generally and irrespective of type during this time.Įarly ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks, called xiphe (plural singular xiphos). Gladius ( Classical Latin: ) is a Latin word properly referring to the type of sword that was used by ancient Roman foot soldiers starting from the 3rd century BC and until the 3rd century AD. Iron of varying degrees of carbon content, pointed, double-edged I would have butcher the whole world.Ancient Rome, based on the Celtiberian sword of Hispania Your faults as a son is my failure as a father.įather. What is it in me that you hate so much?Īll I've ever wanted was to live up to you, Caesar. Would have been like the sun on my heart for a thousand years. where you pressed me to your chest and held me tight. for ways to please you, to make you proud. Even then it was as if you didn't want me for your son. But none of my virtues were on your list. Resourcefulness, courage, perhaps not on the battlefield, but. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel. As I read the list, I knew I had none of them. You wrote to me once, listing the four chief virtues: Wisdom, justice, fortitude and temperance. My powers will pass to Maximus, to hold in trust until the Senate is ready to rule once more. Which wiser, older man is to take my place? And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. How dare you show your back to me! Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name. Or was it Hercules? Why doesn't the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name? You do have a name. ![]() As for this young man, he insists you are Hector reborn. I don't think there's ever been a gladiator to match you. ![]()
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