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Pythagoras’ Greed Cup and Other Lesser-Known Ancient World Facts

Khalid Elhassan July 31, 2020 34 min

Roman Empire - Roman emperor — The assassination of Caligula. Quora

32. The Ancient Greeks’ Favorite Sword

Ancient Greek vase, circa 390 BC, depicting Actaeon wielding a xiphos. Wikimedia

The ancient Greek xiphos sword was in use since the Bronze Age, and was mentioned by Homer. A pointed and double-edged short sword, typically with a two-foot-long leaf-shaped blade, the xiphos was used for both cutting and thrusting. Designed for single-handed use, it was favored by Greek hoplites and was carried by them as standard equipment when they marched off to war.

The xiphos’ leaf shape distributed the blade’s weight more towards the tip. That put more mass behind the point of impact in cutting and hacking strokes. Because added mass means added momentum, it allowed the blade to cut more readily. Additionally, the leaf shape gave the blade a curve on both sides, and such curves were useful in pushing and drawing cuts at close quarters.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.