Gladius (; , ) was one Latin word for
sword and is used to represent the primary sword of
Ancient Roman foot soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those used by the Greeks. From the 3rd century BC, the Romans adopted swords similar to those used by the
Celtiberians and others during the early part of the
conquest of Hispania. This sword was known as the
gladius hispaniensis, or "
Hispanic Sword".