In the 2nd and 3rd Centuries AD, long and straight, double-edged swords were the norm for the Roman armies, slightly longer ...

The Roman Empire was created and controlled ... Each legionnaire (or 'miles') carried a short sword, called a gladius. This was his main weapon. He also carried a 'pilum' (javelin), a helmet ...

While gladiators may have used unique weapons, they also used implements of war that were more familiar throughout the Roman world. The foremost of these was the gladius, a type of short sword ...

But what exactly made the Roman army so successful ... Up close, he would thrust a deadly stabbing sword called a gladius and they used a large shield called a scutum to protect themselves.