5. The Spartans’ Favorite Sword
The Spartans’ favorite sword was the Xiphos, in use by Ancient Greeks since the Bronze Age, and mentioned by Homer. It was a pointed and double-edged short sword, typically with a two-foot-long leaf-shaped blade. It was used for both cutting and thrusting. The xiphoi’s leaf shape distributed the blade’s weight more towards the tip. This 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. Such curves were useful in push and draw cuts at close quarters. Designed for single-handed use, the xiphos was favored by Greek hoplites. The xiphoi became standard equipment when they marched off to war.
The Spartan Way
Xiphoi were originally made of bronze, which made their leaf shape blades easy to create because bronze, unlike iron and steel, is cast rather than forged. Getting the leaf shape for a bronze sword was simply a matter of pouring molten bronze into a leaf-shaped mold. By the 7th and 6th centuries BC, iron supplanted bronze in making xiphoi. They carried them in a baldric and hung under the user’s left arm. As ancient Greek warfare revolved around the phalanx, a spear-based formation, the xiphos was the hoplite’s secondary weapon. It was employed in close combat for situations in which the spear was ineffective or not ideal. The Spartans were noted for their use of the xiphos, and Spartan xiphoi blades were especially short, only a foot long. As they explained it, the goal was to draw Spartan warriors closer to their enemies.