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Military

How long is a Roman gladius sword?

A Roman gladius sword is about 65 cm (2 ft 2 in) long.

What is measured: standard legionary short sword, blade+hilt length

Roman Gladius Sword (65 cm) drawn to scale beside a bowling pin (38.1 cm) and an adult person (1.7 m)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Bowling pin (38.1 cm), Roman Gladius Sword (65 cm) and Adult person (1.7 m).

Compare

How big is that, really?

  • About 1.7× the height of a bowling pin
  • As long as about 8 credit cards end to end
  • About 38% of the height of an adult person
  • About 9 would fit end to end along a 20-foot shipping container
  • About 33% of the height of a doorway

Learn

Facts about Roman Gladius Sword

The gladius was the primary close-combat weapon of Roman legionaries for over 500 years.

Source: Britannica: Gladius; Osprey Publishing: Roman Military Equipment

Military

NameSizeCompared with Roman Gladius Sword
Roman Gladius Sword65 cm (2 ft 2 in)this page
Medieval Crossbow70 cm (2 ft 4 in)1.1×
Thompson Submachine Gun81 cm (2 ft 8 in)1.2×
MP40 Submachine Gun83.3 cm (2 ft 9 in)1.3×
AK-47 Rifle87 cm (2 ft 10 in)1.3×
Sturmgewehr 4494 cm (3 ft 1 in)1.4×
RPG-7 Rocket Launcher95 cm (3 ft 1 in)1.5×
Winchester Model 1873 Rifle99 cm (3 ft 3 in)1.5×
Katana Sword1 m (3 ft 3 in)1.5×
M16A2 Rifle1 m (3 ft 3 in)1.5×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Roman Gladius Sword or Thompson Submachine Gun?

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