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Gladius swords were used to describe the primary sword of Ancient Roman foot soldiers. Gladius is Latin for sword. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks. From the 3rd century BC, the Romans adopted swords similar to those used by the Celtiberians. The also adopted various versions of the sword during their conquest of Hispania. These swords were known as the gladius hispaniensis, or Hispanic Sword. Conventionally, soldiers threw javelins to disable the enemy’s shields and disrupt formations before engaging in close combat where the primary weapon was the gladius sword. A soldier generally led with the shield and thrust with the sword. All gladius types appear to have been suitable for cutting and chopping as well as thrusting.
