centurions gladius

[LegioIIavg]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but in all the sources I have seen it doesn't actually say WHY centurions wore their swords on the left. Is this another way to distinguish them ( in terms of importance ) from other troops ?.

[Carlton Bach]

It is speculated that it was due to their carrying a parma rather than a scutum and thus not being hindered in drawing from the left hip by a large shield like legionaries would have been. I suspect, though, that it was mostly a traditional thing like epaulettes for officers.

[Magnus]

I don't conform to the parma theory...at least not in combat. It'd be far to compromising defensively in ranks.

[Matthew Amt]

FASHION. Never underestimate the power of fashion. The parma theory doesn't hold up first because there doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence that centurions use a different shield from the rest of the unit (and there IS evidence that they carried a regular scutum!), and partly because there is no problem with drawing a gladius from the left while holding a scutum. In any case, there is also evidence that some legionaries at various times DID wear their swords on the left, not to mention Greeks and many other cultures.

It's just fashion, powerful but inexplicable.

Matthew