gladius

Etymology

From Latin gladius (“Roman short sword, gladius”). Doublet of glaive.

Noun

gladius (plural gladiuses or gladii)

1. (historical) A Roman sword roughly two feet long.
   • 1882, "The Genesis of the Sword", Popular Science Monthly, Volume 21, page 81:

     Finally, the Romans made the gladius—sharp, of highly-tempered steel, and strongly piercing—the first real sword (Figs. 17, 18, 19), of which only five specimens are now known to exist.

   • 2007, Pat Southern, The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History, page 212:

     The gladius was effective either for cutting or for thrusting and was used by legionaries and auxiliaries.

2. (zoology) A pen, the internal skeleton of squid made of chitin-like material.

Etymology

Gladius.

From Latin gladius (“Roman short sword, gladius”).

Noun

gladius m (plural gladii, diminutive gladiusje n)

1. Roman short sword; gladius

See also

• spatha

Etymology

< Latin

Noun

gladius

1. gladius (Roman sword)

Etymology

Possibly from Gaulish *kladyos (“sword”) (compare Old Irish claideb (“sword”), from Proto-Celtic *kladiwos (“sword”), from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- (“to beat, break”). Cognate with Latin clādes, clāva, percellō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈɡla.di.us/, [ˈɡɫa.di.ʊs]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈɡla.di.us/, [ˈɡlaː.di.us]

• Audio (Classical)

  (file)

Noun

gladius m (genitive gladiī); second declension

1. sword

   Mitte gladium in vaginam.

   Put the sword into its sheath.

   In gladium incumbere.

   To fall on one's sword.

2. (figuratively) murder, death
3. a gladiatorial contest
4. swordfish
5. (slang) penis

References

• gladius in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• gladius in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• gladius in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• gladius in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • a sword hangs over his neck: gladius cervicibus impendet
    
  • to use javelins at a distance, swords at close quarters: eminus hastis, comminus gladiis uti
    
  • to draw one's sword (from the scabbard): gladium educere (e vagīna)
    
  • to sheath one's sword: gladium in vaginam recondere
    
  • to draw one's sword: gladium stringere, destringere
    
  • to plunge one's sword in some one's breast: gladium alicui in pectus infigere
    
  • to transfix, pierce a man's breast with one's sword: gladio aliquem per pectus transfigere (Liv. 2. 46)
    
  • to fight with swords at close quarters: gladio comminus (opp. eminus) rem gerere
    
  • to throw down the javelins (pila) and fight with the sword: omissis pilis gladiis rem gerere
    
  • swords must now decide the day: res ad gladios vēnit
    
  • swords must now decide the day: res gladiis geri coepta est
    
  • to throw oneself on the enemy with drawn sword: strictis gladiis in hostem ferri
    
• gladius in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• gladius in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin