Gladius

Weighing in at just over two pounds, just over two feet long with a beautiful Imperial Eagle inlaid to the pommel, this is your Gladius. There are many like it, but this one is yours. From now on until the end of your service this is your right hand, and with it you carry the might of the Empire. It is the ultimate answer to all problems, wielding one is a symbol of power, knowing when to use it and when not to use it is exercising that power.

— Quintus Magnus Tulio, Drill Leader, IIIth Legion

The Gladius is the weapon of the Legion, for countless hundreds of years the humble Legionary has carried a Gladius in one hand and a Tower-shield in the other. The Gladius is not like a typical sword, it is designed for thrusting as well as slicing, the end is sharpened into a razor point.
The basic premise of the Gladius is that the Legionaries form a wall with their shields side by side with a gap of a few inches between the shields, just enough for the shield to be moved a little and the Gladius stabbed forward but still leaving the Legionary protected. In a close battle in a house or confined area the relative length and weight of it lends it well for close fighting.
Before the invention of the Gladius the Legions were armed with a 6 foot spear, while effective it meant that each Legionary was also unable to fight in a proficient manner when cut off from the rest of their fellow Legionaries. The Gladius is the mid point between the spear and a dagger, since it was initially fielded it has become the staple weapon of all forces.
There are many interpretations of the Gladius, different styles, weightings, ornate ones, light weight all sorts but the basic design remains the same.

Access & Availability

Actual military grade Gladii are restricted to Legion use only, they are made from a particular steel in a particular force in the Northern Provinces that is incredibly resistant to dulling and corrosion when looked after.

Discovery

The design of the Gladius came from a spear that had been snapped quite near the blade, a legionary wielded this in battle and realised how much more efficient it was.