Was the spatha better than the Gladius?
Was the spatha better than the Gladius? The spatha was a quicker, lighter weapon more suited to cavalry and individual combat. The gladius was more suited to the Roman phalanx, which employed close-quarter fighting. The spatha came to be used more as German soldiers were brought into the Roman army. Was the Gladius a good sword? The short blade of the gladius Hispaniensis made it an ideal weapon when soldiers were closely engaged with the enemy and gave its carrier a distinct advantage over an opponent armed with an unwieldy and heavier, longer-bladed sword who had no space in which...