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At the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Empire, most Roman infantry used swords and special throwing weapons as their main weapons.
The Roman Legionnaire's sword was preferably a stabbing weapon, a fast weapon used at close range. The Roman soldier sought to get closer to the enemy, and took advantage of the moment when the latter tried to hit him, or did so in vain against the shield or armor, to launch a swift thrust to kill him.
The sword was longer than the Gladius, characteristic of the mid-to-late Empire. In the 1st and 2nd centuries the Roman cavalry began to use these longer swords.
Unlike the Gladius, the Spatha allowed you to maintain distance from the enemy and was more suitable for attacking with the edge rather than the tip.
