04-12-2006, 01:25 AM
I'm going to step out on a limb here and offer an alternative, technology-driven explanation: what if the spatha was simply the product of a slow, evolutionary technological process that at some point allowed for longer swords?
Early Celtic long swords suffered from several drawbacks and were unsuitable for stabbing, which is why some of them don't even have points. They were pure slashing weapons. Longer stabbing swords were simply outside the limits of technology then.
But what if, at some point, Roman (or European) metallurgy reached a point where they could make swords that were longer but still as strong, sharp and durable as the shorter gladius? Adopting a longer sword would be logical under those circumstances, just like the trend has always been towards weapons with longer reach.
Early Celtic long swords suffered from several drawbacks and were unsuitable for stabbing, which is why some of them don't even have points. They were pure slashing weapons. Longer stabbing swords were simply outside the limits of technology then.
But what if, at some point, Roman (or European) metallurgy reached a point where they could make swords that were longer but still as strong, sharp and durable as the shorter gladius? Adopting a longer sword would be logical under those circumstances, just like the trend has always been towards weapons with longer reach.
Regards, Nicholas.
