The swords used by the early legions would have been Greek inorigin, either the Xiphos (a leaf-bladed or tapered short swordbetween 19 and 24 inches in length) or the Kopis, a forward-bentsingle edge cutting sword reminescent of a Nepalese Kukri. Probablyboth types were found depending on personal preferences of thelegionaries. While the Gladius Hispanenses was probably introducedduring the II Punic War, it is possible that a similar (butsomewhat inferior) weapon also called gladius was adopted from thenorthern Italy Celts already during the IV Century BC, if so theLegions of the 1st Punic war already fought with a sword that wouldhave been very similar (if somewhat shorter and lighter) to thefamous Gladius Hispanensis.

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