The Semispatha and the Saex

[Thomas V.]

Thanks for that. Unfortunately, it does not take the argument much further. It cites the references that we know of already and, in fact, misrepresents them. Neither Vegetius nor Isidorus uses the word semispathium; the word that they both use is semispatium.

:?
Doesn't Vegetius mention semispathia (2, 15) and semispathiis (2, 16)?

Vegetius does not relate spatha and semispatium to each other; he describes them as differently-sized gladii[..].

"[G]ladios maiores, quos spathas uocant, et alios minores, quos semispathia nominant [...]": In my opinion it is possible to interpret this text part as Vegetius relating the spatha and the semispathium to each other.