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By Sean Lawless

Figure 1 (Sean Lawless)

Figure 2 (Sean Lawless)

Introduction

The spatha was a Roman longsword, used primarily by cavalry in the Roman military. Spathii are longer than infantry swords, this replica is approximately 98 centimeters (Figure 1), whereas typical gladii in ancient times ranged from 36 to 60 centimeters (Lang 1988, 200). The blade is also double edged, but with a short tip. The short tip helps to protect the soldier’s legs while they are on horseback. The hilt of this replica (Figure 2) is in the Celtic style and features a heavy pommel that balances the long blade (Bishop 2023, 108). The metal top nut on the pommel could also be struck down on an opponent’s head in the event of a close quarter combat situation.

Figure 3 (David Friel – Flickr)

The Spatha in the Cavalry

Around 200 BC, long swords used on horseback became common in the Roman military. This was influenced by the addition of Gallic cavalry to Rome’s military force during the Second Punic War (Bishop 2023, 7). During this period the Roman military developed new fighting styles that emulated techniques used by Gallic and Germanic tribes. These changes in equipment and techniques led to the Roman Auxiliary Cavalries’ brutal attack strategy. In battle the cavalry would sit on the wings of the infantry’s formation. As the infantry broke through the enemy formation, the cavalry would rush in from the outside and kill as many fleeing soldiers as possible so the enemy could not regroup (Bishop 2023, 4). During these assaults the spatha’s length was important as a shorter sword would not have been able to reach fleeing opponents. When an enemy was approached on horseback the soldier would swing the spatha downward rather than attempt to stab the enemy. This was easier because of the lack of flexion the soldier had due to their hand guards. Attempting to stab also increased the chance of the soldier dropping their weapon (Bishop 2023, 102). During these pursuit scenarios lances or spears could be used as well, but the typical gladius would never have the length to strike down the enemy (Shotter 2007, 108). The auxiliary cavalry’s other duties primarily involved scouting enemies and quickly skirmishing with enemy patrols, for both tasks a longer blade would be necessary (Bishop 2023, 51).

The Spatha’s Versatility

The spatha could also be used in the infantry and there were times during the Roman Empire when it was. As the Romans expanded their empire to northern provinces in Europe, Germanic and Sarmatian barbarian tribes created a need for a longer sword because these enemies had different fencing techniques (Vaday 2023, 288). Variations could also allowed for two handed grip techniques, maximizing the weapon’s versatility against different types of opponents (Vaday 2023, 282). Some soldiers simply enjoyed the reach advantage it gave them, allowing them to fight more conservatively (Imrie 2021, 226). Roman soldiers often stood in battle with their left foot forward, a shield protecting them in their left hand and their weapon in their right hand. This position made it very difficult to have a reach advantage on an opponent with a typical gladius (Bishop 2023, 106). The spatha also differed from some other weapons because it could stab and cut while being used on the ground, making it a very desirable choice for infantry (Bishop 57, 2023).

References

Bishop, M.C. 2023. The Spatha: The Roman Longsword. Osprey Publishing.

Imrie, Alex. 2021. Caracalla and Alexander’s Phalanx: Caught at a Crossroads of Evidence. Greece and Rome 68 no. 2: 222–38. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0017383521000048.

Lang, Janet. 1988. Study of the Metallography of Some Roman Swords. Britannia 19: 199–216. https://doi.org/10.2307/526199.

Shotter, David. 2007. Cicero and The Treveri: New Light on an Old Pun. Greece and Rome 54 no. 1: 106–10. https://doi.org/10.1017/S001738350700006X.

Vaday, Andrea. 2023. A Late Roman Spatha. Slovenska Archeologica v. 71: 281-289. https://web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=7f038e5b-d3d5-4fbd-b38b-f8215e6f0a3f%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNzbyZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=176326545&db=aft