References and Character Advice

Greek
Xiphos – Primary weapon of Greek troops. The most standard short sword in Ancient Greece. This sword was double-edged, and mostly ranged from fifty to sixty centimetres long. The Spartans however, had them as short as thirty centimetres. The fact that it was leaf shaped meant it was excellent for both cutting and thrusting, making it the most versatile.


Kopis and Makhaira – Single-edged curved swords that ranged from forty to seventy centimetres. The curve varied from weapon to weapon, as well as whether it was bent forward or backward. These swords were much more rarely used than the Xiphos. They were perfect for cutting rather than thrusting.
Preferred weapon of Spartans. They used them like axes.

(They both pretty much look like that except one's longer than the other)

Harpe – Kind of like a scythe and a sword. It has a sickle jutting out of one edge near the tip of the blade. This made it good for both hacking and slashing, but not thrusting or stabbing.


Roman
Falcata – Sort of the Kopis' Roman couterpart. Falcatas can come in double-edged but it's pretty rare. The Falcata is also the weapon of standard bearers since they don't fight in formation with the rest of their legion.


Gladius – Weapon of choice of most Roman Legionnaires. It's part of their standard equipment. It was double edged, and most often straight with a tapering off point. Length ranges from 50-60 cm.


Spatha – A straight Roman long sword of about one metre. Mostly for horseback riders (a.k.a. the cavalry), because of their length, but were also effective on foot. Eventually, legionnaires started using spathas instead of gladii. Gladii became the weapons of centurions and other high-ranking officials.

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