Roman Daggers

The Romans were no strangers to weapons and war, and thus, were not unfamiliar with the dagger. In fact, most-every soldier, whether they were a legionary, an auxiliary, or anything else, carried a dagger, as much for defense as for show. And for the modern-day Roman, Dark Knight Armoury carries a number of great Roman daggers to choose from. If you are going to use one, though, it is best to refer to it by its Roman name, the pugio. Loosely translated, the word means stab and indeed, that is what the pugio exceled at. Like the early gladius, a typical pugio had two styles of blades, ranging from a wide blade with straight edges and a tapered point to a leaf-shaped blade. And like in the gladius, these distinctive shapes made the pugio an excellent close-quarters weapon, which was why virtually every Roman soldier carried one. A pugio can also be considered a symbol of status, as most Roman soldiers furnished their own. Thus, richer soldiers and centurions had ornate pugio sheaths, while common soldiers had something a bit plainer, although the blade always remained a weapon and thus, went undecorated. The pugio is not only the domain of the army, though, and many citizens of the Roman Empire favored them as well, as much for reasons of self-defense as for displays of wealth and power. Many of the Roman pugio daggers featured here at Dark Knight Armoury are modeled after museum replicas or historical finds, possessing such a great look and feel that even a Roman centurion would want to carry one at his side into battle.