The Eagle - Eagle Head Gladius

In the movie, "The Eagle," (2011) Roman officer, Marcus Aquila, together with his slave, Esca, find themselves in the harsh wilderness of Britain. On the search for the lost eagle standard of the ninth legion they venture deep into the Caledonian tribal regions north of Hadrian's Wall.

This official gladius is a detail-rich replica of the eagle sword from the movie. Of tempered carbon steel, the blade tapers from the cross guard into a kind of waistline, widening again before the point. This style of blade was named after Mainz, Germany, its place of discovery, and is the highest quality variant of the Roman gladius. The leaf-shaped Mainz blade was sturdier, heaver and better balanced than the Pompeii and Hispanicum styles. Officers in particular were equipped with this kind of gladius.

You can tell from the elaborate decoration of this gladius that this isn't a mere legionary sword. The finely crafted grip with decorative patterns ends seamlessly in the sculptural eagle head – by far the most distinctive feature on this exceptional sword. Covered with dark leather, the wooden scabbard boasts richly decorated metal plates. The relief on the chape shows a ruler surrounded by soldiers, and depicted on the throat is a legionary standing in front of a Roman temple. On the central plates there are classical Roman laurel vines completed by a laurel wreath insignia in the middle of the scabbard. A leather shoulder strap is attached with metal rings to the scabbard.

All metal parts have been artificially antiqued to give the Eagle Head Gladius an especially battle-tested look.

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