Pugios

ROMAN DAGGERS

The Romans were known to equip their legionaries with both a sword and a dagger (pugio), the latter being of fairly of large size. Even Josephus commented on the equipment of the legionaries that he witnessed during the Jewish Revolt of 66-70 AD as including what he describes as two swords, “one larger than the other” (Jewish War III, 5,1), denoting the large size of the pugio. Archaeological examples of the Roman pugio have been found from the times of the Republic to those of the later empire. The basic design of the pugio stayed largely consistent through this entire time, being fairly broad, wasp-waisted, and featuring a raised fuller running the length of the blade. It also had a hilt with a cross-guard, integral pommel, and a prominent expansion at the middle of the hilt. The tang was full width and was covered on each side with multiple layers of laminated material, including layers of bone or wood, capped with decorative steel or brass. The sizes of pugios stayed largely the same, varying only slightly in different time periods.

The various Deepeeka versions of the pugio are excellent reproductions of archaeological examples, inserted in several styles of scabbard featuring different decorations. The scabbards themselves, while not necessarily based on particular archaeological examples, incorporate Roman decorative forms and styles.

AH3264B - Deepeeka “Brass Beaded”Pugio $117

AH3264E - Deepeeka Pugio Dagger (Embossed) $105

AH3264L - Deepeeka Late Late Roman Dagger $100

AH3264P - Deepeeka Plain Pugio Dagger $81