French 1830 Artillery Gladius

Description

French M1830 Artillery Gladius. No scabbard.

The 1831 pattern artillery short sword was a sidearm issued to the French foot artillery. Heavily influenced by the prevailing Neoclassical style of the day, the sword was based on ancient sculptural depictions of the Roman gladius, the standard blade of the Roman legionaries. The short sword would not have been a practical weapon for combat without a shield but served as a fascine knife or a machete to clear fields for the guns. It also served other practical uses, the French soldiers calling it a coupe-chou ("cabbage cutter"). It was in service until about 1870.

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