Roman Dagger (Pugio)

Timeline

1. c. -100–50Italian Peninsula · Italian PeninsulaPugios of the late Republic and early Empire were mostly broad, leaf-shaped, and double-edged, with bronze or iron blades and wooden grips wrapped in bronze fittings, issued as standard sidearms for legionary soldiers.
2. c. 1–250Rhine frontier · Rhine frontierIn the early Imperial period the pugio tended toward a narrower form with a mid-blade ridge, and elaborately decorated scabbards; many specimens excavated from Rhine and Danube frontier sites show widespread legionary issue.
3. c. 250–500Roman Empire · Roman EmpireIn the late Empire the pugio continued as a distinctive weapon of officers and guardsmen, taking varied forms, some influenced by Germanic short blades, and remained in use in frontier units after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.