Greek swords have a rich and diverse history, evolving over centuries as warfare and technology progressed. The Greeks were skilled warriors, and their swords played a crucial role in their military tactics. For this reason, we have a great number of historical legacies and exhibits of these swords in museums all over the world. Generally, the bravery of the soldiers and their posthumous reputation were strongly connected with their Armours and weapons and the way they treated them.

This was and the cause that most of the hoplites preferred dying in the battlefield than leaving their war equipment, including the Greek swords behind.

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Greek Swords: An auxiliary weapon for close quarter fights

The Greek Swords of the hoplites were double-edged with the blade being wider at the middle of its length, so that its weight was concentrated at this point. This way the striking blow to the opponent was overwhelming. Of course, the swords were equally suitable for a piercing blow. However, the hoplite’s swords were not particularly sharp because they were not used for slashing. The hoplite used the greek swords as an auxiliary weapon, primarily when the conflict ended in a close quarters fight and the spear could not be used due to the limited space or when it broke.

Greek swords and fencing skills in ancient warfare

Greek swords were relatively light except for the “kopis” type swords (falcata or, falx as it was called in the western Mediterranean) and a few other types. The kopis was used by some infantry hoplites, although it was a weapon more suitable for cavalry because it requires open space to be yielded efficiently. It was a powerful single-edged slashing sword, of which only one well calculated blow could cripple the opponent. These sickle style weapons were used by several peoples of the Mediterranean (Lycians, Cares, Lydians, Thracians, Dacians, Albanians, etc.).

Despite the subsidiary character of the Greek swords, the soldiers were not lagging in fencing compared to spear fighting. The relatively small weight of the sword required special fencing skills in order to injure the enemy. Besides, the enemy was usually also a Greek hoplite and there was no suitable sword capable of crushing with unskilled strong strokes their metal shields. Additionally, the opposing side carried substantial armor as an iron Greek shield , cuirasses, greaves, etc.

The only choice the hoplite had in order to strike his equal enemy with his sword was the honing of his fencing ability. Another weapon mentioned by the sources which was used by the Spartans was the short dagger, which served as a weapon of last resort when all else failed to repel the opponent.

Xiphos: one of the most known Greek swords

At first “Xiphos” was used as a name for all the Greek Swords. Eventually though, it was commonly associated with the Macedonian swords. This type of weapons were the protagonist of the Warfare in the Classical and Hellenistic period and were also the secondary army for Spartan Soldiers, after their main greek swords had broken off. These weapons were double edged and leaf- shaped. It was a useful tool for chopping, pushing, lying in ambush and slashing attacks against the units of the enemies. The xiphos played a significant role in various historical events and battles in ancient Greece, including the famous conflicts like the Battle of Marathon and the Battle of Thermopylae. Its design and use evolved over time, with different variations and regional preferences.

So, if you are interested in buying any type of greek swords or other types of Greek armour, and pay an attribution to the long ancient history of Greece, browse through the greek art shop of Hellenic Art and discover a great collection.