Spata
Spatha — a straight and long double-edged sword, ranging in size from 75 cm to 1 m. It was used on the territory of the Roman Empire from the first century AD until the VI-VII centuries AD.
Initially, in the Roman army, the spata was mainly a cavalry weapon, since the gladius was too short, and the rider could not hit the enemy on foot with it. In addition, the spata, unlike the gladius, was intended for both piercing and chopping blows.
By the early 3rd century, the spata had replaced the gladius as an infantry sword. Mass production of spat became possible due to the widespread use of metallurgical achievements. Military factories of the dominant era mass-produced spats for the needs of a fairly large army.
According to the Roman author Vegetius, Roman soldiers were taught specifically to stab with spats (Vegetius, I. 12); chopping blows were most likely practiced in a loose formation.
Active and constant contacts between the Romans and the Germans, both in the form of military operations and trade, mutual assimilation and recruitment of Germans in the auxilia led to the fact that the Germans adopted from the Romans and spats, which later, already in the era of the Great Migration of Peoples, turned into swords of the Carolingian type.
Spata, presumably auxilic. Iron. Newstead. National Museum of Scotland. 80-100 AD
Roman Spata of the early 2nd century, Israel Museum
Spats. Up - Herford museum, Down-Shrewsbury museum. 2-3 century AD Related topics
Equites-Riders, Soldiers of the Dominant era, Gladius, Full name
Literature
Aleksić M. Some typological features of Byzantine spatha / / Zbornik radova Vizantoloshkog instituta. - 2010. - T. XLVII. - pp. 121-136. - DOI: 10.2298/ZRVI1047121A.
M.C. Bishop. Spatha. The Roman long sword.
Simon Timothy James, THE ARMS AND ARMOUR FROM DURA-EUROPOS, SYRIA
Gallery
Spatha blades from Illerup-Adal, Moesgaard museum, first half of the 3 century CE
Spatha blades from Illerup-Adal, Moesgaard museum, first half of the 3 century CE
Spatha drawings from Dura Europos, middle of the 3 century CE
Spatha blades from Dura Europos, middle of the 3 century CE
Roman spata. Bulgarian museum. 3rd century AD
Spats from the Nidam swamp, 3-4 centuries AD.
Drawing of spats from the Nidam swamp, 3-4 centuries AD.
Roman spata of the 4th century AD, drawing finds from the soldier's grave in Liebenau
