09-30-2006, 05:54 AM
I don't know how possible a loose grip would be with a gladius. The pommel generally seems to have been too large to permit a "handshake" grip (assuming I understand the meaning of that expression), and you certainly couldn't hook the index finger over the guard, like you could on a Viking sword, the way the Sassanians are known to have done.
The attached photo is a rare, detailed representation of how the Romans viewed the gladius in action, and goes a way to illustrate the limitations I am referring to:
![[Image: Gladiusgrip-1.jpg]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ZorchG/Gladiusgrip-1.jpg)
The attached photo is a rare, detailed representation of how the Romans viewed the gladius in action, and goes a way to illustrate the limitations I am referring to:
