07-21-2006, 03:59 PM
For comparison here is an Hellenistic encheiridion from the British Museum where only 21.4 cm of the blade is preserved. The Osprey xiphos is supposed to have come from a larger than life statue and is 32.2 cm long, Sekunda says this is slightly larger than the real thing. He quotes Plutarchs Life of Lycurgus where an Athenian mocks these swords and claims a juggler could swallow them. King Agis III replies "But nevertheless we will strike our enemies with them."
Peter Raftos
