Weapons History 101: The Spatha
This week’s episode of History’s Forged In Fire gave us two historical swords to add to our weapons lexicon, the first of which was the Falx, which we discussed here. The second sword featured was the SPATHA, a long sword staple of the Roman cavalry.
The Roman Empire made a habit of adopting the weapons of their enemies, with the spatha being no different. Originally wielded by Celtic and Germanic warriors during the Second Punic War, the weapon quickly became a favorite of Roman cavalry soldiers thanks to it’s length. Essentially a longer gladius, it gave the reach and cutting power needed to devastate the enemy from horseback. During the 3rd and 4th centuries, the spatha gradually replaced the gladius as the chosen sword of the Roman infantry, most likely due to the large numbers of Celtic and Germanic recruits that then populated the legions in the late Empire.
(Image credit: Swords of the Forge)
As the Roman Empire spread, so did the weapon’s popularity. With an undeniable effectiveness, the spatha was continually adopted and refined over the centuries, with the most notable descendent being what we affectionately refer to today as the Viking sword.
The name spatha originates from the Latin term for broad blade, appropriate for the weapon’s considerable length. It was featured as a usable weapon in the videogame Assassins Creed: Odyssey, although the weapon featured was a spatha in name only and more closely resembled a xiphos. Having been first been developed around the 1st century AD, it would have been impossible for a true spatha to have been wielded during the game’s 5th century BC setting.
(image credit: New York Public Library)
You can watch two bladesmiths give their best effort at forging the spatha during the final round of Season 7, Episode 11 of History’s Forged In Fire.
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