ROMAN GLADIUS SWORD (517) by MARTO
This style of sword is known as a gladius hispaniensis and dates from at least the early part of the first century BC. It was essentially a thrusting sword capable of rupturing mail. This sword is an accurate reproduction of a first century AD Roman sword. This decorative Roman Sword (517) has a stainless steel blade with a bronze hilt. It is crafted by Marto in Toledo Spain. OVERALL: 28"

The Gladiator and his Gladius
"Dating back nearly 2,100 years this extraordinary blade represented the height of weaponry during Rome's barbaric fascination with gladiatorial combat. According to Methos, its short broader based blade made it lighter and easier to maneuver which was key strategy when the fighting wore on. "The longer the battle, the worse it was," he said. "I watched men so crippled with fatigue that they could barely lift their swords from the ground. When that happened it was, of course, their death knell." Methos salvaged the blade from the beheaded body of a fallen gladiator who had been left to the whims of the vultures. "Removing any article from a dead gladiator was vehemently forbidden and punishable by crucifixion," he said. "But his fate held such powerful symbolism for an Immortal. "