The kopis is an ancient Greek sword with a forward-curving blade. It is primarily used as a tool to cut meat for slaughter and animal sacrifice, but is also used as a weapon.
The word “kopis” is a Greek feminine singular noun. The difference in meaning between makhaira (another Greek word with a meaning of “broad knife” or “short sword“, “dagger“) is not explicitly defined in ancient texts. Modern specialists tend to use both terms as a class of curved weapons. The only difference between kopis and makhaira is the direction of the blade curvature.
It is a one-handed weapon with an average length of about 3 feet. The size of kopis is equal in size to the spatha. Just like other swords that have a predecessor. Kopis is believed to come after Iberian falcata. It is often compared to the shorter Nepalese kukri.
As mentioned in ancient Greek art and literature, Greeks in those times did often use curved blades in warfare. They preferred the straight and more martially versatile xiphos. The Greek hoplites opt for straight swords for infantry, but the downward curve of the kopis made it especially adept to mounted warfare against infantry. The kopis has a tilt that is similar to a hook. In most cases, this sword would be swung over the shoulder so the attacker could attack with the most force against their opponent. In fact, Greek art shows Persian soldiers wielding the kopis or an axe rather than the straight-bladed Persian akinakes.
Another ancient samurai sword worthy to study is the Japanese Tachi sword. It is often said that Tachi is more curved and slightly longer than the katana. A sword is considered a Tachi when hung from the belt or sash (obi) with the edge down, and becomes a katana when worn edge up and thrust through the girdle. The Tachi later on became outdated and was replaced with the Katana sword.
Unlike the traditional manner of wearing of the katana, the tachi is worn hung from the belt with the blade facing down, and was commonly used by cavalry. Deviations form the average length of the tachi have prefixes ko for “short” and ō-for “large or great” attached. For example, tachi were shōtō and closer in size to a wakizashi were called kodachi. The longest tachi ever to be recorded was considered a 15th century ōdachi is more than 3.7 meters in total length or 2.2 m blade, but was believed to be ceremonial. During the year 1600, older tachi were cut down into katana. The majority of the surviving tachi blades are called o-suriage thus it is rare to find an original signed ubu tachi.
Function
The main use of tachi is on horseback from where it was able to efficiently drawn to cut down enemy foot soldiers. Tachi can also be used on the ground but somewhat awkward to draw out. For this reason, the uchigatana (the predecessor of the katana) emerged.
Uchigatana is considered to be a predecessor to the katana as the battle-blade of feudal Japan’s bushi or warrior class. Tachi and its companion sword, Uchitagana, were differentiated by the way they are worn and form the fittings for the blades.
The Katana evolved to be the primary choice of weapon after tachi sword showed to be a weak weapon during the Mongol invasions. In the later part of Japanese feudal history or during the Sangoku and Edo periods, certain high-ranking warriors of the ruling class would wear their sword in tachi-style (edge downward style), rather than with the saya or scabbard thrust through the belt but with edge facing upward.
During the rise of militarism or Shōwa era, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese army took into effect the tachi called Shin guntō and Kai guntō.
