C. 100-200 AD. Roman. An iron Pompeii type gladius blade with parallel cutting edges, a triangular tip and a long tang. The gladius was a key part of Roman military equipment and were used by the empire’s legionaries in close quarters combat. It is partially thanks to this short sword that Rome was able to control an empire that reached from north-western Europe to the Near East and encompassed all the lands of the Mediterranean. For more information on Roman weaponry in general see Bishop and Coulston 2005, “Roman Military Equipment from the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome.“ Good condition. Size: L:385mm / W:47mm ; 990g; Provenance: Property of a central London Ancient Art Gallery; previously obtained from a British private collection formed in the 1980s.