The Roman Empire was created and controlled ... Each legionnaire (or 'miles') carried a short sword, called a gladius. This was his main weapon. He also carried a 'pilum' (javelin), a helmet ...

While gladiators may have used unique weapons, they also used implements of war that were more familiar throughout the Roman world. The foremost of these was the gladius, a type of short sword ...

JULIA: I just found this fragment of rusty metal. It doesn’t look like much but this was once a sword. A sword known as…the gladius! The gladius was part of the Roman soldier’s equipment ...