Roman Gladius

[Deadguy]

It was a gladiatorial weapon designed by either Tiberius' brother or son (depending on the source) called suprisingly Drusus. It was supposidly a superior design and manufacture of the Gladius which would cause more bloody wounds.

Aha! That makes sense. Thanks NB!

Don't suppose anyone knows the URL of an image of one?

 

[Krieg]

The "superior Gladius" connotation comes primarily from 2E AD&D.

There are no historical records/descriptions of the weapon beyond the fact that it was named after it's designer & supposedly inflicted "particularly painful wounds".

It is very likely that it was impratical as a weapon outside of the pomp of the arena.

 

[billd91]

A number of primary sources, mostly written by the Greeks, but I don't remember them off-hand, as I haven't read them in years. I did a quick google, but mostly it turned up some video game named Gladius, so I abandoned the search without really delving very deeply into it.

Of course even a primary source shouldn't be considered above suspicion, especially if the descriptions aren't particularly precise or directly comparative. The historians may have been writing many years after an event based on other oral histories, may have been writing to highlight Roman brutality, writing to edify his benefactors, and under many other possible motives and limitations.
I have my doubts that the gladius was any revolutionarily powerful weapon. Put in the hands of a disciplined and well trained army, I can see that it and the other weapons at their disposal were brutally effective. And any fighting at such close quarters is sure to be a particularly bloody affair no matter what weapon is used.

 

[Desdichado]

Ah, the smell of revisionist history late in the evening! It must be fun to be cynical and mistrustful of everything.

 

[Krieg]

It must be fun to be cynical and mistrustful of everything.

You are absolutely right! I should be ready for John Edwards to fly in with the ghosts of my most interesting ancestors so that everyone can sit around & use their psychic abilities to view lost atlantis while discussing where Big Foot will sit when the mother ship arrives to take us all back to Orion.

 

[Null Boundry]

The "superior Gladius" connotation comes primarily from 2E AD&D.

There are no historical records/descriptions of the weapon beyond the fact that it was named after it's designer & supposedly inflicted "particularly painful wounds".

It is very likely that it was impratical as a weapon outside of the pomp of the arena.

Thats not copletely true, there are several mentions of Gladiators weapons being custon made. This would suggest they they were of a higher quality that those produced for the Legions. After all Gladiators were valuable property it would make sense to equip them as well as possible and if you were a freeman or citizen the wouldn't you want the best you could afford?

 

[Rel]

Thats not copletely true, there are several mentions of Gladiators weapons being custon made. This would suggest they they were of a higher quality that those produced for the Legions.

I think another interpretation of this might be that these "custom weapons" were designed to look better than their military counterparts, not necessarily perform better (though I suspect they wouldn't sacrifice performance much if at all in the pursuit of a prettier sword). After all, gladiators were entertainers, not just warriors.

 

[LGodamus]

Rel, that is precisely what I was thinking....

 

[Desdichado]

You are absolutely right! I should be ready for John Edwards to fly in with the ghosts of my most interesting ancestors so that everyone can sit around & use their psychic abilities to view lost atlantis while discussing where Big Foot will sit when the mother ship arrives to take us all back to Orion.

!

 

[Rel]

Rel, that is precisely what I was thinking....

Does that mean I should be scared or you should be scared?

Oh, that's right, when we meet at Game Day we'll decide who's more twisted.