Spatha vs. Gladius — What's the Difference?

The spatha was a type of straight and long sword, measuring between 0.5 and 1 m (19.7 and 39.4 in), with a handle length of between 18 and 20 cm (7.1 and 7.9 in), in use in the territory of the Roman Empire during the 1st to 6th centuries AD. Later swords, from the 7th to 10th centuries, like the Viking swords, are recognizable derivatives and sometimes subsumed under the term spatha. The Roman spatha was used in war and in gladiatorial fights.

Gladius (Latin: [ˈɡɫad̪iʊs̠]) is a Latin word meaning "sword" (of any type), but in its narrow sense, it refers to the sword of ancient Roman foot soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks, called xiphe (plural; singular xiphos).

A type of straight sword originating from the 1st-century Roman Empire. It was worn typically by cavalry officers and is a long version of the left shaped gladius.

(historical) A Roman sword roughly two feet long.

A spathe.

(zoology) A pen, a hard internal bodypart of certain cephalopods, made of chitin-like material.

The internal shell, or pen, of cephalopods like the squids.