One of the great strengths of the Roman army was its ability to evolve over time — tactically, strategically, and technologically. Anything that could give its soldiers an extra edge on the battlefield was enthusiastically embraced, and as the enemies they fought changed over time, so too did the kit of the typical infantry soldier.

The gladius sword was a perfect example of this — but it too was abandoned once it no longer offered the advantages in combat it once had, in favor of the long-bladed spatha sword. The evolution of the Roman infantry sword weapons reveals a lot about the responsive and adaptive nature of Roman warfare over time.