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The ''spatha'' was a type of straight and long sword, measuring between , in use in the territory of the Roman Empire during c. the 1st to 6th centuries AD. Later swords from the 7th to 10th centuries, like the Viking swords, are recognizable derivatives, and sometimes subsumed under the term ''spatha''. The Roman ''spatha'' was used in war and in gladiatorial fights. The ''spatha'' of literature appears in the Roman Empire in the first century AD as a weapon used by presumably Germanic auxiliaries and gradually became a standard heavy infantry weapon, relegating the ''gladius'' to use as a light infantry weapon. The ''spatha'' apparently replaced the ''gladius'' in the front ranks, giving the infantry more reach when thrusting. While the infantry version had a long point, versions carried by the cavalry had a rounded tip that prevented accidental stabbing of the cavalryman's foot. Archaeologically many instances of the ''spatha'' have been found in Britain and Germany. It was used extensively by Germanic warriors. It is unclear whether it came from the Pompeii ''gladius'' or the longer Celtic swords, or whether it served as a model for the various arming swords and Viking swords of Europe. The ''spatha'' remained popular throughout the Migration Period. It evolved into the knightly sword of the High Middle Ages by the 12th century. ==Etymology== The word comes from the Latin ''spatha'',〔(spatha ), Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, ''A Latin Dictionary'', on Perseus Digital Library〕 which derives from Greek ' (''spáthē''), meaning "any broad blade, of wood or metal" but also "broad blade of a sword".〔(σπάθη ), Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus Digital Library〕 The Greek word was used in the middle Archaic period for various types of Iron Age swords. The word does not appear in Homeric Greek, but it is mentioned in the works of Alcaeus of Mytilene (sixth century BC)〔"Χαλκίδικαι σπάθαι" (''Chalcidian spathai''), Alcaeus, 15.6〕 and Theophrastus (fourth century BC).〔 Theophrastus, (''Characters'', 25.4 ), original Greek text, on Perseus Digital Library〕 It is likely that ''spatha'' is the romanization of a Doric Greek σπάθα (''spáthā'')〔recorded in the accusative plural, as σπάθας (''spáthās''). AP6.288 (Leon.) LSJ, s.v. "σπάθη".〕 The word survives in Modern Greek as and . The Latin word became the French ''épée'', Catalan espasa, Portuguese and Spanish ''espada'', Italian ''spada'', Romanian ''spadă'' and Albanian ''shpata'', all meaning "sword". The English word ''spatula'' comes from Latin ''spat(h)ula'', the diminutive of ''spatha''. English spade, from Old English ''spadu'' or ''spædu'', is the Germanic cognate, derived from a Common Germanic '' *spadō'', ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European stem '' *sph2-dh-''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Spatha」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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