The sword's length indicates they were cavalry weapons used by warriors on horseback, according to Smithsonian Magazine. They were shorter than the Roman gladius used by foot soldiers and had ...

The Roman Empire was created ... The minimum term of service for a soldier during the first century AD was twenty years. Each legionnaire (or 'miles') carried a short sword, called a gladius.

After a burst of arrows, the Roman soldiers marched towards the enemy. At the last minute, they hurled their javelins and drew their swords, before charging into the enemy. Then the cavalry ...

JULIA: I just found this fragment of rusty metal. It doesn’t look like much but this was once a sword. A sword known as…the gladius! The gladius was part of the Roman soldier’s equipment ...