Usage
Like the gladius, the pugio was probably a stabbing weapon, the type said to have been preferred by the Romans. Of them, late Roman writer Vegetius, says:
A stroke with the edges, though made with ever so much force, seldom kills, .... On the contrary, a stab, though it penetrates but two inches, is generally fatal. ... the body is covered while a thrust is given, and the adversary receives the point before he sees the sword. This was the method of fighting principally used by the Romans ...Vegetius may be overstating this point however, as there are a number of surviving Roman depictions of soldiers slashing with their weapons, as well as stabbing with them. This is shown best on the Adamklissi metopes.
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Famous quotes containing the word usage:
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—Fran Lebowitz (b. 1951)
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—A.J. (Alfred Jules)