C. 100-500 AD. Roman. An iron spatha with a long tapering, bevelled blade and a beautiful handle with two rectangular termini between which is a long handle with finger-shaped grooves. The spatha was a key part of Roman military equipment and was used as a heavy infantry weapon, especailly by the German auxiliaries. 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, handle possibly restored. Size: L:934mm / W:58mm ; 845g; Provenance: Property of a central London Ancient Art Gallery; previously obtained from a British private collection formed in the 1980s.