Why was the Roman army so effective?Because it constantly adapted using weapons and battle techniques from other peoples it saw that they were more effective than its own.
Early Roman footmen used a sword similar to the Greek xiphos (ξῐ́φος in Greek).
But during the Punic wars the Romans came in contact with Celtiberian tribes in Hispania and at about the 3rd century B.C. they adopted their weapon — the gladius hispanicus. A short,straight sword that could be used mainly for stabbing as well as cutting.
This was a serious advantage against the Gallic tribes who used long,heavy, difficult to wield swords for cutting.
The gladius became standard for the Roman legions and during its history it changed little.It remained in service for more than half a millenium until the 3rd century A.D.
It was always held with the right hand ,the scutum shield with left, and it was very easy to cut in all directions ,ideal for the soldiers being in tight formations.
It had a double edge with a sharp point at the end (mucro). Its’ handle was made out of wood with a pommel at the end to counter-balance the weight of the sword.
Four main types of the gladius are known- the gladius Hispaniensis,the Mainz gladius, the Fulham gladius, and the Pompeii gladius.
It was also used by gladiators in the arenas. The word gladiator comes from the gladius being their main weapon.
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