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 ...

Roman soldiers spent a long time training and practicing ... The swords the Romans carried were called a gladius. The blade was short and broad and it had a very sharp tip. It was designed to ...

The Roman Empire was created and controlled by its soldiers. At the core of the army ... (or 'miles') carried a short sword, called a gladius. This was his main weapon. He also carried a 'pilum ...